# Great Reform Act (1832)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1832-great-reform-act
Categories: main-event

Parliament redistributed seats and widened the parliamentary franchise for many middle-class men. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 1832 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The act broke the old unreformed electoral system and established reform as an ongoing political process.

## Why it matters
The act broke the old unreformed electoral system and established reform as an ongoing political process.

Ruler at the time: [William IV](https://english-history.com/rulers/william-iv)

## Sources
- [UK Parliament — Reform Act 1832](https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/houseofcommons/reformacts/overview/reformact1832/)
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Great Reform Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Great+Reform+Act&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Great Reform Act](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Great+Reform+Act)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281800%E2%80%931899%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)