Victorian Reform and the Vote

During the Victorian era, voting rights were gradually extended. The Reform Act of 1832 greatly increased the number of voters, abolishing 'pocket' and 'rotten' boroughs. The Reform Act of 1867 created more urban seats and reduced property requirements. The Chartists had campaigned for universal male suffrage, annual elections, secret ballots and paid MPs. Working conditions improved through reforms such as the 1847 Factory Act, which limited women's and children's hours to 10 per day.