It is 1868 and a general election has been called.  Students will need to decide who to vote for in this open election. They will discover the mechanisms for running general elections and the attitudes people had in the period. They will listen to the actual hustings speeches given by the three candidates in the North Durham constituency and decide between themselves who to vote for whilst the three candidates will attempt to threaten and bribe them.   

The pupils will meet three members of staff who will lead them through the hustings experience in St Helen’s Church in the 1820s landscape.

This activity will bring to life the hustings experience of the 1868 election. It could get lively!

This session helps students to:

• Understand democracy through a 19^th century election
• Explore and understand the impact of electoral reform on society in the 19^th century
• Compare what elections were like in the Victorian Era to elections now and why it is important to vote

Target age:  KS3, KS4 (Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

Cost: £50

Duration: 1 hour

Group size: up to three classes (90 students)

Season: All year