CHURCH AND SOCIAL REFORMS IN GREAT BRITAIN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH – FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
Keywords:
Great Britain, England, Ireland, parliamentary reform, Anglican Church, social reforms, conservatism, liberalism, monarchyAbstract
The article analyses the changes in the church and social processes in the UK, focusing on the activities of the reformed parliament. Despite the expansion of the electoral base, the Parliament remained predominantly conservative. The internal contradictions between democratic tendencies and the desire to preserve the traditional institutions of the monarchical state are considered.The aim of the study is to analyze the church and social reforms in Great Britain in the second half of the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries, with a particular focus on the changes following the parliamentary reform of 1832. The research method is based on the historical and analytical method, which allows to identify the cause- and-effect relationships between political events and social transformations.Special attention is paid to the Irish question: the activities of Daniel O'Connell, his struggle for Catholic emancipation and Irish autonomy, as well as the British government’s response – repressive measures and attempts at reform, in particular in the field of church tax. The conflict between the state Anglican Church and the Irish population is analyzed.Describes the succession of governments: the resignation of Charles Grey, the activities of William Lam and Robert Peel's attempt to hold on to conservative power. The last attempt of the monarch to intervene in the formation of the government despite the parliamentary majority is also discussed.It highlights the struggle for the abolition of slavery, the role of religious and humanist movements, the contribution of William Wilberforce and the significance of the 1833 Act on the abolition of slavery. It shows the interconnection of economic, moral and political factors in this process.Analyses the first steps of the state in the field of education: financing public schools, creating inspectorates and the emergence of new institutions, such as the University of London. The author shows the role of the Whigs in initiating reforms and the opposition of the church. The reform of local government (the 1835s Act) is considered, which expanded the right to vote, although it was more difficult in Ireland due to conflicts on religious grounds. On the social level, the author describes measures to fight against poverty: the creation of workhouses, the adoption of the 1834s Law on child labour, which limited the exploitation of children and recognized the state's responsibility for social protection.Despite steps towards democratization and secularization, the foundations of the British state system remained unchanged.
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