The National Archives
WEBWe are a non-ministerial department, and the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales.
Living in 1960s Britain Timeline - The National Archives
WEBDownload the timeline as a PDF 1960 The United States of America enters the Vietnam War. NASA’s space probe, Pioneer 5 is launched into orbit between Earth and Venus. The Beatles perform their first public performance at the Indra club in Hamburg, Germany. 1961 John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of […]
What caused the 1832 Great Reform Act? - The National Archives
WEBIn 1832, Parliament passed a law that changed the British electoral system. It was known as the Great Reform Act, which basically gave the vote to middle class men, leaving working men disappointed. The Reform Act became law in response to years of criticism of the electoral system from those outside and inside Parliament. Elections […]
What was Chartism? - The National Archives
WEBWith the Great Reform Act 1832, voting rights were given to the property-owning middle classes in Britain. However, many working men were disappointed that they could not vote. Chartism was a working class movement which emerged in 1836 in London. It expanded rapidly across the country and was most active between 1838 and 1848. The […]
What methods did the Suffragettes use to gain the vote?
WEBThroughout the nineteenth century, women played a prominent role in the fight for political rights. In the second half of the century, three major acts were passed extending political rights – but not to women. Women made only limited progress towards being able to control their own affairs and they did not have the right […]
Magna Carta, 1215 - The National Archives
WEBThe king and the rebel barons negotiated a peace settlement in June 1215. The king agreed to accept the terms of Magna Carta, which is dated 15 June 1215. Transcript Clauses marked (+) were repeated in the charter of 1225, but with minor changes. Clauses marked (*) were omitted in all later reissues of the […]
Census records - The National Archives
WEB1. Why use this guide? This guide explains how to access the historical censuses from 1841 to 1921 and provides information on using the census returns of: England Wales the Channel Islands the Isle of Man vessels in English and Welsh ports and inland waterways from 1861 onwards the British Army overseas (1911 and 1921 […]
Hong Kong and the Opium Wars - The National Archives
WEBIn 1997, Hong Kong stopped being a British colony after more than 150 years of British rule. Authority over Hong Kong was transferred to China. Many see this moment as the end of the last significant colony in the British Empire. Hong Kong became a British colony through two wars: the First and Second Opium […]
Crime and Punishment: Robert Peel - The National Archives
WEBIn 1822, Sir Robert Peel was appointed Home Secretary. He would become closely associated with penal reform in Britain. He is remembered especially for the formation of the Metropolitan London Police Force in 1829. Police constables were called ‘bobbies’ or ‘peelers’ in reference to Peel. Before Peel’s reforms, public order …
LGBTQ+ Rights in Britain - The National Archives
WEBSource 2. 1835: Letter from police magistrate Hensleigh Wedgwood to the Home Secretary Lord John Russell about two prisoners condemned to be executed for having had sexual relations with each other. How is homosexuality portrayed in this letter? Look at the LGBTQ+ laws timeline. How long after this case was …