During the years 1841 and 1846 Robert peel made some very successful reforms that really improved the lives of many people and also the economy of Britain. When peel came to power with the conservatives, he faced many problems. One in ten people were in poverty throughout the UK even though the country was thought to have a rich economy. The government was also in major debt of over £2 million and the rise of Chartism was a threat to the middle class people. However, over the five years that peel was in power he made some very good changes that improved the domestic and financial problems that our country was faced with.chemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

There were many reforms that peel made that were successful and a lot of them helped to gain control over the financial problem. The reinstatement of income taxes was one of the main changes that helped the government decrease their debt. Since 1816 tax had been put on heavy duty products like bread and candles. This was affecting the working class the most as they did not have enough money to buy lots of these products, however in 1842 peel decided to introduce income taxes to people that earned over £150 per year and got rid of taxes on every day products. This improved the lives of most of the working class population and the government paid off their debt and made the British economy more trust worthy.

Along with the reinstatement of income tax there were other acts that peel introduced that were successful; this included the bank charter act in 1844. Before this act was made banks could issue paper bank notes with no limit on the account. This meant the if companies got in to difficulties; investors lost their money and could not repay the banks. Due to this banks would often collapse due to insufficient gold reserves to back the paper currency. Robert peel came to the conclusion that the economy could only be expanded if the currency were stable. The bank charter act made sure that there was a limit on the amount of money banks where aloud to issue and also said that if any new banks that were made, they were not allowed to distribute money at all. This gave the bank of England greater control over the banknote issue, as there had to be a gold reserve of the same amount in the bank of England before it can be issued.

Both of these reforms helped the financial trouble that England was in during 1841 to 1846. Along with the financial difficulties there were some domestic problems too.

The mines act in 1842 responded to the appalling working conditions of the mines. It stated that all children under ten years old were no longer aloud to work underground and that women were also forbidden from working underground. This was a very good reform for all the women and children at the time as these industries were extremely dangerous and deaths were common.

Along with this came the factory act in 1844 which was mostly the work of the home secretary, James Graham. It reduced the working hours for children under 13 and recommended that there should be some safety improvements in factories. The last of the domestic reforms that were a success was the railways act in 1844 which aimed to regulate the activity of the railway companies and also making sure that the passengers were safe at all times.

The Domestic and Financial Reforms of Peel’s government were largely successful. When Peel came to power in 1841, he faced many problems. The most important was the huge national deficit left by the Whigs. This led to Peel reintroducing Income Tax in 1841. This was introduced as a temporary measure of three years, however after its success the Tax remained. The Income Tax was taken from everyone who earned over £150. This was a controversial move, but a successful one because the National Deficit was soon paid off.

Another important Act was the Mines Bill, introduced by Lord Shaftesbury in 1842. This removed women and children from the horrific conditions of the mines. The bill was introduced by Lord Shaftesbury after a report on child labour was written. This social reform was a long term solution to child and vulnerable women labour. Although a Conservative Reform it is questionable how much Peel did to pass the bill. The improvement was a success; however the credit for this reform should be Lord Shaftesbury because he investigated the conditions of the workers and forced the bill through Parliament.

In addition, following the success of the Mines Bill of 1842, a factory reform was soon introduced, as an extension of the Factory Reform Act introduced by the Whigs in 1833. The Factory Act of 1833 minimised the hours children over nine could work and banned all under the age of nine from working, but did not have any effect on the adults. The reform of 1844, introduced change to the adult female working day, by reducing their hours to twelve. Children also benefitted once again from this reform as their hours were reduced to six and a half. The workers were also entitled to one and a half hours for meals. This was a partially successful reform, because hours were reduced, and safety around machines were set up, however once again the Ten Hour Movement campaigned by Lord Shaftesbury was rejected. Adults were still expected to work twelve hour days which was unacceptable and tiring.

The most important reform was the Bank Charter Act. This Economic Reform was a long term change, as it allowed the currency to stabilise. This was achieved by giving The Bank of England the role of issuing notes to the value of £14 million. Anything beyond that figure had to be covered by Gold reserves. Having this important role with the Bank of England meant smaller banks could no longer issue money, which had previously damaged the economy, with too much money being printed which meant the value of the currency was reduced. This was successful because the value of the money went up, meaning the economy was back in a stable place.

Free Trade was an important factor for Robert Peel. The Budgets of 1842 and 1845 swept a large amount of the remaining duties away. Over six hundred duties were scrapped and hundreds more were significantly reduced. Export duties were reduced and this helped the working class as they could now afford to pay for essentials such as cotton, meat and potatoes. The Budgets were a great success for Peel and the Conservatives as they worked exactly how he hoped they would. Trade improved dramatically and unemployment fell. The most important change was food became cheaper as imports increased and duties were either removed or reduced.

Although many of the reforms introduced by Peel was hugely successful, one reform was so controversial that it resulted in a division in the Conservative Government and ended in Peel resigning from his post as Prime Minister. There were a number of factors that are discussed by Historians as to why the Corn Laws were repealed in 1846. Firstly, the outbreak of the Irish Potato Famine, led to Peel realising that in order to save the starving Irish, he needed to make imports cheaper as the Irish relied on the imports they were receiving. Secondly, the success of the budgets in 1842 and 1845, led to further reductions in tariff prices because they stimulated industry and reduced unemployment. Finally the appeal of the Anti Corn Law League led by Cobden and Bright campaigned using propaganda and mass meetings. They viewed the Corn Laws introduced in 1815 as ‘a moral evil of society’. They wanted the law to be scrapped and cheaper imports to be introduced. The pressure from all of the above factors led Peel to repeal the Corn Laws in 1846.

Peel’s significant domestic and financial reforms were greatly successful between the years 1841-56.Not only did they benefit working class people but they also in some ways highlighted the first evidence for Toryism adapting into conservatism, The first most dominant piece of proof for the success of the reforms were the way in which they managed to get the country out of its £2 million pound deficit. The lowering of tariffs, reform of taxation and stabilization of the currency led to the reduction of the national debt, this was a factor that would alleviate much stress from Britain and would prompt a new growth in the economy leading to a bright future for Britain.

Peel had the task of getting the country back on track after the large deficit it had been left ion by the former Whigs. Peel made his first step towards national reform with the reduction of duties, Peel acknowledged that the less duties on these essential goods, the more the working class would be able to buy and this therefore would lead to greater profit. Peel realised that this reform on duties would over time generate greater revenue but he was adamant on eliminating the national deficit, with this motif in mind he took one of the most controversial approaches towards generating more money and reintroduced income tax. It was to be collected at a rate of 7pence in every £150. This was a largely significant reform that angered people temporarily, yet was imposed as a temporary measure that would be taken away within three years of its introduction; this however was a pledge that didn’t stick. These tow reforms were directed towards saving the country from its deficit and they were indeed entirely successful.

The Bank Charter act of 1844 was another reform introduced by peel that would regulate the activity of banks and limit note issue by banks. By doing so |Peel managed to create one of the most reliable banks throughout the world, the Bank of England was trusted by foreign countries and the British pound became one of the most prosperous currency in the world. This regulation on bank issue also meant that the value of money was kept at a high standard and prosperity within Britain remained. This was an important reform introduced by Peel as it kept Britain prosperous. Another reform that supported the prosperity and the organisation of financial Britain was the companies act, this act stated that all companies were to keep accounts of their generated income; this then led to further organisation and prosperity of Britain. how?

Peel was also influenced by the views of humanitarianism and with Christian influence and the well being of the working class people in mind, he introduced two additional acts that would benefit the working class entirely. The Mines Act 1842 prevented females and boys under the age of ten from working within the terrible mining conditions. This would have had a short term impact on the overall income of working class families but for the long run it benefitted the working class, it signified how the government had the well being of the working class people in mind. The factory act in 1844 was also another act that had the well being of the working class in mine, with the basis of the original factory act of 1833 peel adapted this act and attempted to introduce the 10 hour day, yet this was unsuccessful. Peel’s reforms benefitted both society and the people within; it seemed that finally the working class could identify real reform.

With Peel’s new found reputation for free trade and effective reforms, there was one act that remained to hang over Britain, this was the Corn Laws, these outdated laws were in real need of being repealed, and with the influence of the anti corn law league, and the stress of the Irish Potato famine, Peel was in a position where the positives of abolishing the corn laws outweighed the negatives. With the support of many Whigs also, in 1846 the repeal of the corn laws was passed, this was one of the most significant pivotal points within peels career as Prime Minister, it marked the real transformation that Britain had undergone and in comparison to the days of real distress in 1815, 1840’s Britain had a bright air about it.  -- develop this - what do you mean?

To what extent were Peel's domestic and financial reforms 1841-46 a success? (24 marks)chemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

Overall, Peel’s reforms were domestically and financially very successful. Peel came to power in 1841 with the conservatives; peel unfortunately was faced with masses of problems caused by the Whigs before. The most crucial problem to be sold was the national debt left by the Whig party. There was famine in chemas-microsoft-comfficemarttags" />ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Irelandountry-region> therefore people were starving as they could not afford food. Followed by the political pressure of splits in the party, radical threat by chartists and Peels resistance to reform and this was just all before he started! Peel clearly had a lot to do and he done this with diligence.

Firstly, the national debt that the Whigs left caused an unsettlement for the upper class due to Peel’s reintroduction of income tax for the rich, which had previously been abolished in 1816 by Lord Liverpool. 7 pence in the pound on incomes over £150 per annum was decided. Peel hoped that this would not only absorb the countries huge debt but also turn the country around into disposable surplus. Initially it was planned as a temporary measure and only meant to last 3 years however, Peel managed to persuade parliament to renew it for another 3 years – however no other government since has been able to afford to abandon the tax. This reform was extremely successful and arguably the most successful of them all. explain why in more detail

Secondly, another financial reform of lowering of the tariffs. Peel was strongly influenced by a group of northern industrialists calling themselves the t="on">t="on">Manchester school, and came to believe they were stifling the British industry – furthermore, some argue that Peel was all for free trade and liberalism. Peel’s actions caused attraction from foreign countries as they no longer held a grudge against paying a tariff for trade. Peels actions made the economy boom, influencing free trade and more trade. Also, Peel believed that by doing g this it would make the cost of living cheaper and would provide more jobs for the public and would overall benefit the working class. you need more K&U of free trade reforms here

The bank charter act of 1844 was a huge success also due to it causing a massive increase in the British economy as well as attracting foreign traders due to them trusting the British economy and knowing that their investments are safe or true. Peel aimed to restore confidence in a system, as previously banks issued notes with no limit on the account. If companies got into difficulties, investors lost their money and could not repay the banks. Some banks, having over issued notes would then collapse due to insufficient gold reserves to back the paper currency. Peel also believed the economy would expand if the banking system was stable, Peel was correct the economy boomed and supported the other financial reforms. All of these helped the British economy and has kept it stable up until even today! The three rules of the charter were no new banks were allowed to issue notes and existing banks has limits on issuing notes; furthermore, the bank of England was given huge responsibility and control over banknote issue, which was linked to bullion reserves and securities. The action proved highly successful and was the starting point for the modern methods used to control an economy – this also cause mid-Victorian security.

In addition, a domestic reform the 1842 mines act. This was a responsive action to the dangerous working conditions revealed in the report of the Royal Commission Peel has set up. The act stated that all children younger than 10 were forbidden to work underground as well as women, this reform seemed to be a common sense response to a dangerous industry were deaths were overwhelmingly common. However, this was not a crucial reform it was a huge step towards health and safety and it kept Christian humanitarians quiet.

Continuing is the passage of the factory act of 1844 and this was largely the work of the home secretary, Sir James Graham. It introduced set working hours for those under 13 and set recommended safety requirements in factories, such as fencing of machinery. Some believe that Peel was less interested in the social reforms and didn’t have much input in them. Such as the report in the mines act not being his actions, as well as the main work being done by Sir James Graham. However, this could be seen as an unfair statement to a genuine effort to improve conditions in the mines and factories.

Furthermore, the railway act of 1844 was the work of president of the board of trade, William Gladstone. This act aimed to regulate the activities of the new railway companies, as well as safe guarding the interests of passengers. The act also instituted the ‘parliamentary’ train. This required each railway company to put on at least one train per day, which stopped at every station on the line.

In conclusion, Peels reforms were a huge success and transferred the British economy from being in huge debt to economic surplus with his amazing financial reforms. Furthermore, Peel’s social reforms also proved to be effective due to the mines, factory and railways acts radicals such as chartists kept quiet due to nothing to complain about. ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Britainountry-region> was the wealthiest and strongest economy in the world and was trusted worldwide also. Overall, Peels reforms cause massive relaxation in the country causing mid-Victorian stability and the abolition of poverty in ountry-region wt="on">Irelandountry-region> as well as ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Britainountry-region>.

Robert Peel's multiple reforms in the period 1841 to 1846, are seen as a success to a great extent both domestically and finacially/ecconomicaly. This is proven in the many reforms he made such as the Bank Charter Act of 1844. This act enabled the Bank Of  chemas-microsoft-comfficemarttags" />t="on">ountry-region wt="on">Englandountry-region> to be the nations primary and most powerfull bank, while the act also limited and restircted the powers of other banks which had been one of the causes for the ecconomic mess the country was in at the time. The power was given to The Bank Of England to be the bank that issued new notes (whuch caused the ecconomy to be more orderly) and also hold reserves of gold which represented paper money. It was this that stabalizes the ecconomy and strengthened the Pound, to the point where it became the most strongest currency in the world. This act, (led by Peel) also provided what is no known today as 'Mid Victorian Stability' which was era of prosperity in ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Britainountry-region> which lasted until the late 1870's. This partly shows that a reform by Peel worked to a great extent, that it provided an ecconomy which had been previosuly with a huge defecit, now having the strongest currency in the world. This was long and short term reform as it influenced the ecconomy at time and has been adopted by many other ecconomies.This can be seen as success to a great extent.

Another reform that shows that Peel's reforms had great depth and were a success was the reinroduction of income tax. This was were income tax was inroduced again as the Government has a huge defecit to face and huge depth which threatened to paralyze the ecconomy. Peel introduced the income tax to raise capital to clear this dept and to get the eccomomy moving again and it did work. Also, apart from the reintroduction of income tax, duties were removed from over 600 items during the period of 1842 - 1945, as well as duties greatly reduced on 500 items. This was a good reform as it helped riase the money needed for the goverment to survive with the income tax, but then helped the working class in paticualr with duties removed or reduced as they can afford to put foods on thier table. Peel has been quoted to say 'We need to make ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Britainountry-region> a cheaper place to live'. This reform certainly helped to do this. However, the reintroduction of income tax did upset some members of society such as Landed Aristocrats and the upper class because they thought they had worked hard for their money and should retain all of it. Theses reforms had a long term effect as icome tax is still be used 169 years on.

Also another reform made which looked good on the onset but caused contrevery among the upper class again, was the abolition of the Corn Laws in 1846. The Corn Laws were established in 1815 and was a artificial tax placed on things like wheat and Corn that benefited only Landed Aristorats but made buying those types of foods more expensive for the working class. By the time of the repeal there was a great famine in ountry-region wt="on">t="on">Irelandountry-region> and many have suggested that is why Peel repealed the Law. Others have argued he was a humanitarium. However, this law did not sit so well with Landed Aristocrats as it meant they would not make anyewhere as much as they did as before. The corn laws are also long lasting as they are still abolished to this present day.