Object Title

Aristocracy and Democracy

Original Format

cartoon

Description

In the run up to the 1832 Reform Act, the conflict between the House of Commons and the House of Lords was represented in this cartoon as one between 'democracy' and 'aristocracy' - but its depiction of 'democracy' is also a set of implicit references to the French Revolution of 1830. Moreover, the contrast between aristocracy and democracy would also have been a recognisable reference to the French Revolution of 1789. In the struggle to pass the Reform Bill in 1832, the House of Lords was initially deeply resistant, as was the King. This provoked a series of riots across England with those in Bristol being especially destructive.

Spatial Coverage

England

London

Temporal Coverage

1830-32

Date

1830/1832

Bibliographic Citation

Image © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Creator

Mark Philp

Rights

perm

Rights Holder

WA2003.Douce.4081 anon. British, ‘Aristocracy and democracy’

Extent

small - width of newspaper column

Object Title

Aristocracy and Democracy

Subject

groups

popular protest

satire

symbols