Reasons+for+the+growth+of+the+Parliamentary+reform+movement.

The French Revolution showed the lower classes in Britain that it was possible to get rid of the upper classes and take control of the country. The government feared this would inspire the lower classes.
 * French Revolution**

Role of Individuals such as Whig Statesman Edmund Burke.

Literature such as Thomas Paine's book 'The Rights Of Man'.

The issue of Catholic Emancipation caused the break up of the Tory party in 1827-30, allowing a Whig government under Earl Grey to from in 1830. This lead to the establishment of the first administration since William Pitt (younger) to have a reformist agenda.
 * Alliance formed between middle and working classes - Radical Reform Association founded by Cobbett and Hunt
 * 1830 - BPU founded by Thomas Attwood, Cobbett founded the Political Register with a circulation of 200,000
 * Other radical newspapers established, such as the Reformist's Register, the Black Dwarf and The Republican - actively involved in the War of the Unstamped Press.
 * Large public demonstration occurred form 1815 onwards with reference to reform, however most of these were caused by economic tensions at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Spa Fields (1816 St Peter's Fields (Peterloo Massacre) 1819
 * Whigs develop the attitude that small reformist steps could stop revolution and newly enfranchised citizens would vote in favour of those who had enfranchised them.
 * Earl Grey - "The purpose of my reform is to prevent the necessity for revolution."
 * As literacy levels grow throughout the century the role of newspapers and such had a greater impact of votes - electorate became more image conscious and MPs and other leaders began to tour the country

Individuals promoted the growth of parliamentary reform, these individuals included:
 * Role of Individuals**
 * ** Thomas Paine: ** A British radical who spent time in America and then France during the French revolution and he became deeply involved and then wrote “The Rights of Man” in 1791 in part a defense of the French Revolution against its critics . This book sold 200,000 copies, and influenced may people in Britain to open up to new liberal ideas.
 * ** Edmund Burke: ** An Irish statesmen and author. Burkewas opposed to the Revolution. In 1790 he published his book //Reflections on the Revolution in France// as a warning to many English reformers such as the Country Gentry, the Foxites and Wilkesites who believed that the French were having their own Glorious Revolution. Clubs had been set up to celebrate Britain's centenary of the Glorious Revolution and these clubs began to celebrate with the French, to aid and encourage their revolution. Burke had the greatest impact in Britain because the politically powerful followed his ideas. The Revolutionary Societies ceased to exist after 1793 and the landed, ecclesiastical and government powers fell in with Burke's attitude and adopted it, although misinterpreted, because they believed that any reform would lead to revolution. The only group in parliament advocating reform after the start of the wars against France were the Foxite Whigs.