2: Industrialisation, protest and reform Flashcards
great exhibition 1851
more than 100,000 objects
international event but britain took up more than half of the floor space
showed britain’s modernisation, but at a social cost
back to back housing
houses built to share a back and side wall
4 metres wide and one room deep
by 1801, 2/3 of birmingham’s population lived in back to backs
back to back housing health problems
limited natural light and the use of candles/oil lamps worsened respiratory problems
‘back houses’ were even worse. the only natural light came from the communal privy/wash house area. cesspools right outside and no fresh air
sanitation - overcrowding
vast overcrowding
drainage systems inefficient
communal privies emptied into cesspits and often contaminated water supply
sanitation - disease
no understanding about the spread of disease
outbreaks of influenza and cholera common
first major cholera outbreak was in sunderland in 1831 and 32,000 died
when improvements were made to sanitation..
they were mostly centered in the affluent areas, reinforcing the class divide
MC “respectable living”
lived on the more spacious outskirts of town
WC left to create their own communities and distractions in makeshift inns and chapels
separation of two classes developed a distinct class consciousness
attempts to counter lack of WC free space
rare
model towns created - Saltaire in West Yorkshire 1851. Offered better housing and schools
when/where was luddism
nottingham, but spread across the north
1811-1817
luddism methods
after writing threatening letters to their employers, they would break into factories and destroy the machines if their demands were refused.
by 1812, about 1000 frames in nottingham had been destroyed (damage cost £6-1000)
luddism caused which act?
1812 frame breaking act
punishment of death if you were caught breaking a frame deliberately
government were worried that the WC were considering revolution
luddism membership
mainly handloom workers
named after Ned Ludd - a young weaver who destroyed knitting frames
Luddism - william cartwright
brought in soldiers to protect machines at his mill (Rawford Mill)
in 1812, the mill was attacked and 2 luddites were killed
william horsfall
1812
outspoken anti-luddite mill owner shot outside huddersfield
his killers were executed, along with 14 others in 1813
luddite disturbances declining
after william horsfall’s killers were executed in 1813
the movement was effectively over, except for a few isolated outbursts up until 1817
luddism as a turning point
prior to this protests had been largely peaceful
gov couldn’t ignore
when/where swing riots
1830-2
south of england
swing riots cause
hunger politics (2 failed harvests)
and introduction of threshing machines which threatened to take away winter employment opportunities
one threshing machine could do the work of 15 men in one day
swing riots demands
wage increases
rent reductions
end of rural unemployment
swing riots methods
sent threatening letters under the name of captain swing to landowners
burnt hayricks
broke threshing machines
swing riots as a turning point
showed how necessary reform was in the counties
first example of the strength of the rural population during industrialisation - previously considered docile so was a shock to parliament
swing riots first burning
kent
august 1830
caused the movement to spread as far as yorkshire (but mainly in the southern counties)
how many counties saw disturbances of swing riots
16
swing rioters punished
2000 arrested
only 19 executed
because punishment was left to local JPs who lived in their communities and recognised the motivation behind the action
10 hour movement as a turning point
previous movements (luddites/swing) had failed to achieve any meaningful, ST reform
political efforts to change hours pre-1847
as early as 1802
john hobhouse (whig MP) in 1825 sought to restrict children’s hours but this was undermined by the free trade ideology
10 hour movement - when did it begin
1830
workers across the pennines organised themselves into ‘short-time’ committees and started to collaborate with trade unions
10 hour movement leaders
richard oaster (made speeches. 1830 wrote a letter to Leeds Mercury which stirred up political interest)
george bull
^ their moral concenrs drove intial success
10 hour movement - support from MPs
michael sadler (up until 1832 when he was no longer an MP)
lord ashley (tory peer) - main parliamentary force
10 hour movement impacted by 1833 factory act
restricted child labour
paved the way for 1847
why did 10 hour mvt succeed
already had strong support
government sympathy
single issue movement
who put pressure on government for factory reform
WC
social reformers/humanitarian mill owners of MC
factory reform support - morality
tories wanted britain’s markets to continue, they were worried that industrial development could decline.
whigs believed that these unhealthy conditions for children would worsen Britain’s productivity in the LT
humanitarian thinkers (lord ashley) thought it was the right thing to do
support for factory reform - different motivations reduced effectiveness
each faction had a different motivation and therefore were willing to accept different forms of change
faltering momentum
factory reform unable to make sufficient headway pre1833
due to the free trade argument pushed by the MC
anti-factory reform argument
markets should set their own value
any government changes could affect productivity and therefore profits
pushed by MC
credibility of anti-reform for factories
Whig economist Nassau Senior
said that profit was only made in the last hour of the working day once expenses were accounted for
1833 factory act
textile factories:
no children under 9 employed
restricted 9-18 hours and said they must have 2 hours of education per day (if under 13)
1833 factory act enforcement
first time enforced!
inspectorate of factories set up (although there were only 4 men and 4000 factories) which had fining powers
limitations of 1833 factory act
4 men and 4000 mills
only applied to textile industry
backbone of drive for reform came from
1830s 10 hour movement
ten hour movement
1847 - women and children reduced hours
protected from excessive working demands
robert peel
tory PM
believed economic growth was stunted by social distress
he supported the 1844 Factory Act
BUT he only wanted to introduce reform when absolutely necessary
1844 factory act
restricted women and children (13-18) working hours
introduced moderate safety precautions - dangerous machinery fenced off
1844 - by restricting female hours..
it was felt that they would have more time at home and this would promote a healthy society
separate spheres
1844 factory act extended
to other industries
1860
1864
1842 edwin chadwick
maintained in his report that disease was caused and spread by poor living standards
even though the gov recognised the problem of sanitation
they didn’t think intervention was necessary as it was the responsibility of local town corporations
health of towns associaton
set up 1844
to apply pressure to the gov and promote a Public Health Act
based on the anti-corn law league (single issue movement which lobbied the government)
1856 factory act
repeals some of the 1844 safety features
laissez faire
burial acts 1852
needed due to the increase in population
creation of a public network of cemeteries in London to be overseen by a burial board (using the Poor Rate)
subsequent acts in 1854 and 7 extended across britain
increased population
6 million in 1750
27 million in 1850
sanitary act 1866
made sanitary inspections compulsory for local corporations with a record
made it hard for corporations to overlook responsibilities
PHA 1848
bill introduced by Lord Mopeth
creation of a Central Board of Health (but they had no money and could only advise town corporations how to act)
local boards of health were not established by default unless the morality rate was excessively high
Short term failure
