Date of Award
Spring 5-12-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Michael Thompson
Second Advisor
Dr. Johnathan Dresener
Third Advisor
Dr. Donald Viney
Keywords
Gladstone, Gladstonian Liberalism, Victorian Britain, Social Reform, Home Rule, Disestablishment
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to discuss the significance of William Gladstone and his political administration which demonstrated a unique approach to social representation in nineteenth-century Britain. Most of the research for this thesis focused on historians who examine both the variable nature of the term democracy in Victorian Britain as well as Gladstone’s bureaucratic achievements as an MP. A large portion of the thesis employs information extracted from nineteenth-century British newspapers to convey the firsthand viewpoints of Britain’s political administration. Secondly, a plethora of modern perspectives provide varying outlooks on Gladstonian Liberalism as a gradually progressive form of societal management implemented within a consistently transitioning imperial system. Although the general consensus of both contemporary and secondary historic accounts does not typically portray Gladstone as a revolutionary for democracy they concede that his endeavors in Liberal reform included elements of democratic changes that encouraged Parliamentary policy to be more supportive of underrepresented social groups.
Recommended Citation
Belcher, Jason, "GLADSTONIAN LIBERALISM: A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL REPRESENTATION AND DEMOCRATIC REFORM IN VICTORIAN BRITAIN" (2018). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 244.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/244
