From its earliest days Louisville was governed by a board of trustees. In 1828, when it became Kentucky's first city, government shifted to a ten-member "Common Council". In 1851 the city was given a new charter, keeping the Common Council as a "lower house" to the Board of Aldermen, an "upper house" of the city's legislative power. Originally Aldermen had to live in a ward and be elected by its residents. Reforms in 1893 aimed at reducing corruption allowed citywide election of all Aldermen, who could live in any ward.