# Representation of the People Act 1918 (1918)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1918-representation-of-the-people-act-1918
Categories: main-event

The electorate was vastly expanded to include nearly all adult men and many women over thirty. Within the broader Early 20Th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at 6 February 1918 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The act transformed Britain into a mass electoral democracy and marked a major victory for women's suffrage.

## Why it matters
The act transformed Britain into a mass electoral democracy and marked a major victory for women's suffrage.

Ruler at the time: [George V](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-v)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Representation of the People Act 1918](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Representation+of+the+People+Act+1918&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Representation of the People Act 1918](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Representation+of+the+People+Act+1918)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)