Background Flashcards
France?
The end of a 20 year war with France in 1815 brought about unemployment and poverty
—1816—
45,000 people in East London in need of food
—1815—
A good harvest any many imports lowered profits and caused widespread rural employment. Many MPs landowners so government introduces CORN-LAW in 1815. This banned import of corn unless the price rose above 80 shillings a quarter = too expensive for poor and starvation
French Revolution
1789: terrified British government so they treated all protesters harshly
Swing riots
November 1830, 1500 incidents of agricultural attacks and arson within 4 months. Led by ‘Captain Swing’ . Many rounded up and punished harshly. They were only protesting as they didn’t have a vote and wages were low and punishments for poaching were harsh
Chartists
Campaign for the vote that began in the 1830s, also protesting about the poor law which broke up families and made poverty look like a crime. Overall peaceful, mass meetings and distributing pamphlets. More violent during bad harvest years.
Chartists Newport rising
November 1839 around 3000 armed coal miners and iron workers to support the charter, the military drill they under took scared the government so they were met with forces which opened fire killing over 20 people. Over 500 leaders arrested and imprisoned, between 1939-48 over 100 transported to Aus.
Chartists last petition
1848 the Chartists claimed to have a petition with five million signatures. They planned to go to London but were met with huge resistance, cannons on londons bridges and 10,000 soldiers as well as thousands of special constables. They stepped down and resolved the situation peacefully. Robert peel abolished the corn laws in 1846
The London dock strike
1889, dockers were the poorest paid workers yet organised a five week strike organised by Ben Tillet. The distributed food raised money and moralised workers. John Burns kept them on food terms with the police. Fewer than 20 dockers were arrested and this peaceful protest gained national support.
The General Strike
May 1926, around 2.5 million workers. After ww1 mining profits fell and in 1926 they wanted to increase the working day to 8 hours and reduce wages by 10%. Therefor the TRADE UNION COUNCIL called a general strike. The government feared communism after the BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION, in Russia. In general police were accepted although over 5000 arrested were made and 1000 imprisoned. Northumberland train derailment.
Who was the general strike stopped
Volunteers worked as train drivers, and special constables were recruited to deliver food trucks around the country (not needed but good propaganda. Army and navy used to maintain order. Press made strikers look like traitors and eventually the TUC made a compromise
Conscientious objectors
16000 men objected to WW1 but most agreed to do other war work such as drive ambulances. 1500 refused to work so were put in trial and sent to prison. In WW2 they were much more respected and weren’t persecuted and only sent to prison as a last resort. The still were met with hostility from the public
