1810s

Question 1

Luddite Riots

Answer 1

1811-1812
Indication of textile workers’ anger over low wages and social distress. Luddites rioted and broke machinery. It was an early indication of the workers’ potential power to negotiate for improved conditions. The outbreaks were sporadic and the Government was preoccupied with the progress of War

Question 2

Lord Liverpool became PM

Answer 2

1812

Question 3

End of Napoleonic Wars

Answer 3

1815

Marked by Wellington’s victory over Napoleon at Waterloo.

Question 4

Passing of the Corn Laws

Answer 4

1815
Protected home grown wheat against the import of cheap foreign corn. No foreign corn could be imported until the home price reached 80 shillings a quarter. Landowning classes were able to do this because they had the majority in Parliament. They had done well during War due to high demand but in 1813 there was a bumper harvest, leading to low prices and then in 1814 there was a poor harvest so foreign corn started to be important. Bread price increased, huge public outcry, period of civil unrest.

Question 5

Repeal of Income Tax

Answer 5

1816.
Result of pressure from mps who argued it was a special measure for War and had no place in the peacetime. However, it resulted in the government raising indirect taxes on commodities such as beer, sugar and salt. Affected the lower orders and some resorted to supplementing their diet by poaching.

Question 6

Habeas Corpus Suspended

Answer 6

1817

After worrying attack by the mob on the Prince Regents’ coach.

Question 7

Six Acts

Answer 7

1819
Very repressive, and designed to deal with the period of unrest. Outlawed unofficial military training, seditious meetings, introduced stamp duties on newspapers to put them out of reach of most working men, gave magistrates special power to search homes for weapons and aimed to silence public opinion- they were introduced to safeguard the position and authority of the ruling classes.
Result of Peterloo Massacre.

Question 8

Peterloo Massacre

Answer 8

1819
A mass meeting for reform got out of hand and 11 civilians were killed.
Government passed ‘Six Acts’ as a result.

Question 9

Truck Act

Answer 9

1819

Attempted to curtail the underhand practice of employers paying wages in kind to factory workers.

Question 10

Factory Act

Answer 10

1819
Intervened in conditions of employment. Legislated against employment of children under nine in cotton factories, restricted working hours to 12 hours a day for young people, caused resentment among factory workers but was the opposite to Lord Liverpool’s previous repressive legislations.

Question 11

Relief Acts for Dissenters & Toleration Act for Unitarians

Answer 11

1819

Permitted greater religious freedoms, contradicted Lord Liverpool’s previous repressive measures.

Question 12

Resumption of Cash Payments

Answer 12

1819
Was suspended in 1797 because of heavy borrowing by government and withdralws by PI’s which Resulted in increase in paper money (inflation). By resuming it the value of the British currency rose and the amount of gold reserves increased. Depression began to lift with increase in export trade, run of good harvests, stabilising in price of wheat, reduction in price of bread and increase in demand for other commodities.