Chronology: Key Events in Britain 1815–1865

• 1815 End of Napoleonic Wars after French defeat at battle of Waterloo. Congress of Vienna fixes European boundaries.
  Great Britain joins Russia, Austria and Prussia in Quadruple Alliance to uphold Vienna Settlement.
  Government of Lord Liverpool introduces Corn Law.
• 1816 Trade depression and unemployment lead to distress and calls for reform of Parliament.
  Riot at Spa Fields in London.
• 1817 March of the Blanketeers to demand reform of Parliament.
  Pentrich Rising in Derbyshire.
  Government suspends habeas corpus and introduces Seditious Meetings Act.
• 1819 ‘Peterloo’ massacre in Manchester.
  Government introduces ‘Six Acts’.
• 1820 Death of George III and accession of George IV.
  Cato Street Conspiracy to murder members of cabinet.
  Castlereagh issues State Paper setting out British policy of non-intervention in internal affairs of other states.
• 1821 Start of Greek revolt to win independence from Turkish Empire.
• 1822 Changes in Liverpool’s government: Canning replaces Castlereagh as Foreign
  Secretary; Peel replaces Sidmouth as Home Secretary; Huskisson becomes President of Board of Trade; Robinson becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer.
  Congress of Verona.
• 1823 Irish Catholic Association founded by O’Connell to campaign for Catholic
  Emancipation.
  Huskisson and Robinson begin to reduce duties on imports.
• 1824 Repeal of Combination Acts legalises trade unions.
• 1825 Criminal Law Amendment Act outlaws intimidation during strikes.
  Stockton to Darlington Railway opened.
• 1826 Canning sends British forces to Lisbon to support Portuguese regent against Franco-Spanish interference.
• 1827 Liverpool resigns after a stroke and is replaced as Prime Minister by Canning.
  Canning dies (August) and is replaced by Robinson (aka Lord Goderich).
  Peel reforms the penal code to reduce the number of capital offences.
• 1828 Goderich resigns as Prime Minister and is replaced by Duke of Wellington.
  Repeal of Test and Corporation Acts (giving religious liberty to non- conformists).
  O’Conell wins County Clare by-election but is not allowed to take his seat in Parliament because he is a Catholic.
  Corn Law revised by introduction of a sliding scale of import duties.
  Treaty of London (Great Britain, France and Russia) commits powers to mediation in Greek War of Independence and demands a ceasefire by both sides; leads to destruction of Turkish/Egyptian fleet at Battle of Navarino.
• 1829 Roman Catholic emancipation granted.
  Peel establishes Metropolitan Police Force.
• 1830 Death of George IV; succeeded by William IV.
  General Election shows public sympathy for parliamentary reform.
  Wellington resigns and is replaced by Whig ministry led by Grey.
  Captain Swing riots by agricultural labourers in south of England.
  Opening of Liverpool-to-Manchester railway.
  Revolution in France overthrows Bourbon monarchy and puts Louis Philippe on the throne.
  Belgian revolt for independence from Netherlands.
• 1831 Lord John Russell introduces first Reform bill; after defeat in Commons Grey calls General Election and secures pro-reform majority.
  Second Reform bill rejected in House of Lords.
  Pro-reform riots in Bristol and Nottingham.
  Treaty of London (Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria and Prussia) accepts Belgian independence.
• 1832 Grey resigns after Lords attempt to amend third Reform Bill.
  Wellington tries and fails to form government.
  Grey returns to office, Reform Bill passed.
• 1833 Abolition of slavery in British Empire.
  Factory Act.
  First grant of State aid to church schools.
• 1834 Grey replaced by Melbourne as Prime Minister.
  Poor Law Amendment Act passed.
  Melbourne resigns and Peel forms minority government.
  Grand National Consolidated Trades Union founded.
  ‘Tolpuddle Martyrs’ transported to Australia for taking an illegal oath to join a union.
• 1835 Peel resigns and Melbourne returns as Prime Minister.
  Municipal Corporations Act reforms local government in towns.
• 1836 Tithe Commutation Act reforms payment of tithes to Church of England.
• 1837 Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages introduced.
  Death of William IV and accession of Queen Victoria.
  Start of a serious trade depression.
• 1838 People’s Charter published, marks start of Chartist movement.
• 1839 Chartist National Convention held and Chartist petition presented to Parliament (rejected).
  Newport Rising by disappointed Chartists.
  Start of Opium War with China.
  Anti-Corn Law League founded.
• 1840 Penny Post introduced.
• 1841 Conservative victory in General Election; Peel becomes Prime Minister.
  Straits Convention between major powers closes Dardanelles to foreign warships during peacetime.
• 1842 Peel’s budget reduces many import duties.
  Second Chartist petition rejected, leading to disturbances in many areas.
  Coal Mines Act prevents women and children from working in mines.
  End of Opium War; Britain gains Hong Kong and access to Chinese markets.
• 1844 Bank Charter Act regulates issuing of paper currency by banks.
  Factory Act limits working hours for women and children in textile factories.
• 1845 Budget abolishes all export duties and reduces import duties.
  Start of Irish potato famine.
• 1846 Repeal of Corn Laws by Peel splits Tory Party.
  Russell (Whig) becomes Prime Minister.
• 1848 Third Chartist petition rejected by Parliament.
  Public Health Act establishes General Board of Health.
• 1849 Navigation Acts repealed.
• 1850 Don Pacifico incident; Palmerston (Foreign Secretary) proclaims right to defend interests of British citizens in other countries.
• 1851 Great Exhibition celebrates Britain’s status as ‘workshop of the world’.
• 1852 Russell resigns (Feb) and is replaced by minority Tory government (Lord Derby). Derby government defeated (Dec) and replaced by Whig-Peelite coalition led by Lord Aberdeen.
• 1853 Gladstone (Chancellor of the Exchequer) continues Peel’s free trade policy in Budget.
• 1854 Britain and France declare war on Russia (Crimean War).
• 1855 Aberdeen resigns and is replaced by Lord Palmerston as Prime Minister.
• 1856 Treaty of Paris ends Crimean War. Second Anglo-Chinese War.
• 1857 Outbreak of Indian Mutiny.
• 1858 Palmerston resigns and is replaced by minority Tory government under Lord Derby. Indian Mutiny put down but responsibility for India passes from East India Company to British government.
• 1859 Derby forced to resign and Palmerston becomes Prime Minister (Whig- Peelite).
• 1860 Gladstone’s budget completes process of freeing trade.
• 1861 Start of American Civil War; Britain remains neutral.
• 1865 Palmerston dies and is replaced by Lord John Russell (Whig-Peelite).