Swing Riots Flashcards
When did the Swing Riots begin and end?
1830-1832
What machine did the Swing rioters object to and why?
The threshing machine because it replaced their manual, winter labour with a machine that could do 10 men’s work
In what geographical areas did the Swing Riots occur?
The south and south-east of England
What criminal tactics did the Swing Rioters use?
Rick burning, destruction of threshing machines, cattle maiming, threatening letters
What peaceful tactics did Swing Rioters use?
Petitions to Parliament, letters, posters, meetings
How many Swing Rioters were hung?
19 men
How many Swing Rioters were transported?
505 men
Give reasons for the Swing Riots other than machinery
Agricultural revolution, enclosure, decline of traditional rural society, hiring on a casual basis, paid by the day or results not the week, decline of pay, surplus of labour
Counties where the Swing Riots happened
Sussex, Wiltshire, Devon, Dorset etc…
What was the average wage for agricultural labourers in the Swing counties in the 1830s?
8/4d per week
Why were East Anglian counties more ‘explosive’ than others?
Because this area had pioneered the ‘new’ methods such as enclosures of the Agricultural Revolution
Why were the Swing Rioters angered by the implementation of poor relief?
Because the relief in the form of money and food given to the agricultural poor had steadily declined over a 10-15 year period
Who was Captain Swing?
The mythical leader of the rioters
Which early ‘journalist’ commented on the decline in the living standards of the agricultural poor in the 1820s?
William Cobbett
If an agricultural labourer was hired for less than a year, what could he NOT claim if unemployed?
Poor relief
