GCSE History: Britain - Power and the People Guide

Magna Carta (1215)

Magna Carta limited the power of the king for the first time, establishing that even the monarch was subject to the law — an important early step, though it mainly protected the rights of powerful barons, not ordinary people.

The English Civil War and Parliament

Conflict between King Charles I and Parliament over the extent of royal power led to civil war in the 1640s, and eventually to a stronger, more permanent role for Parliament in governing England.

Extending the vote

Through a series of Reform Acts in the 19th century, the right to vote was gradually extended to more men, moving away from a system where only wealthy landowners could vote.

The Suffragettes and women's votes

The Suffragettes campaigned, sometimes through direct and militant action, for women's right to vote. Women over 30 gained the vote in 1918, and equal voting rights with men followed in 1928.

Common mistakes

• Assuming Magna Carta gave rights to ordinary people rather than mainly to barons.
• Thinking the vote was extended to all men and women in a single reform.
• Mixing up the dates of the 1918 and 1928 extensions of the vote to women.