Britain, 1851 - 1951 Flashcards
Women Essay
Main Points
- The Suffragettes
- The suffragists
- Changing attitudes towards women
- WWl
- Influence of other countries
Suffragists
Paragraph
K- Suffragists created by Millicent Fawcett in 1897 to campaign for WS
A- They were a peaceful campaign and defied stereotypes to prove they deserved WS
K- 53,000 members in 1914
A+- Membership was only high due to people wanting to leave the Suffragettes and join a subtler less relevant campaign
E- Methods included pamphlets, petitions, meetings and parliamentary bills introduced by back bench MP’s like George Lansbury - all WW1 women’s war work was reverted back to male jobs shortly after.
Suffragettes
Paragraph
K- 1905 Gov Min Sr Edward Grey was heckled by Suffragettes which made headlines
A- Provided a lot of media attention and was passed by world of mouth which put pressure on gov
K- Methods were arson, vandalism and destruction of letter boxes.
A+- Reinforced idea of women being emotional and too unstable to vote
E- Suffragists allowed men to join such as Fredrick Lawrence - at the time men in power were more likely to listen to other men unlike the women only campaigns of the suffragettes.
Changing Social Attitudes towards women
Paragraph
K- 1870’s universal primary education act passed making education compulsory for all in primary years, including young girls
A- Mandatory education caused status and attitude towards them to change due to the having a further knowledge on broader subjects
K- 1870 Queen Victoria called women’s rights a “mad, wicked folly”.
A+- many middle- and upper-class women did not care for women’s suffrage and horrified, showing an unified front
E- 1914 the suffragists had over 480 branches - the suffragists were gaining a huge number of supporters while other women still disagreed on the concept of universal suffrage.
WWl
Paragraph
K- 1917, 25,000 women were working on farms and 23,000 in the women’s land army producing food
A- Many women did vital, war work during WW1 and therefore proved that they were deserving of the vote.
K- Two days after the war was declared on Germany in August 1914, suffragists and suffragettes suspended all political campaigns to help the war effort.
A+- Just a way to stop the acts of ‘terrorism’ within the suffrage campaigns from restarting post war.
E- 1912 new Labour Party and the suffragists supported each other due to the Labour Party manifesto listing universal suffrage - focused approach to pushing the government and its parties while the war only proved they were capable of doing more, no gov action
Influence of other countries
K- Women in NZ could vote by 1893
K- Women in Finland could vote by 1906
A- Britain was influenced to change as it saw itself as ahead of times and couldn’t let countries beat them
A+- No clear evidence connecting countries influence to Britain
E- Australia women could stand in elections for parliament by 1902, suffragists showed British wanted change not just other countries
First Giant ‘Want’
Paragraph
K- The 1945 Family allowance act paid 5 shillings to every family for their second and every subsequent child.
A- They could worry less about covering the expenses of multiple children and can focus more on keeping themselves out of poverty.
K- The 1945 Family allowance act was paid British public and in 1947 had cost £59 million to uphold.
A+- Public were being taxed more to uphold the act meaning those struggling in poverty are paying more
E- The 1946 National Insurance act provided welfare benefits, the benefits by 1948 were 19% of the average industrial wage. Benefits being given were very little compared to a working wage and not nearly enough to keep people out of poverty.
Second Giant ‘Disease’
Paragraph
K- 1946 the National Health Service (NHS) was introduced, which entitled everyone to free medical care from GPs, hospitals, specialists and dentists.
A- Allowed the general public to obtain medical help, therefore reducing illness, disease and infection in the UK population.
K- In 1948 the cost of the NHS was £228 million and by 1949 it was £356 million.
A+- Cost to maintain a national free health service was outstandingly high, meaning taxes were raised which can led to further health problems.
E- By 1951 the NHS had to start charging for services like getting glasses and false teeth. They had to start charging for specific services which defeats the whole purpose of the NHS
Third Giant ‘Ignorance’
Paragraph
K- During labours time in office 35,000 teachers were trained and 1,176 school were built.
K- The Education Act 1944 stated that the age which children could leave school was raised to 16 and when workers were low 15.
A- More teachers trained + more schools being built = better education = higher chance of getting successful jobs
A+- Families couldn’t send their children to work which decreased the family income = closer into poverty.
E- The 11+ test was introduced which split children up into grammar, technical, secondary modern. Grammar school nearly always lead to university and technical schools was made for the working class, so children were limited in income they could get by a test at the age of 11
Fifth Giant ‘Squalor’
Paragraph
K- New housing act of 1946 stated that the government aimed to rebuild 200,000 houses a year.
A- New houses reduced homelessness and improved living conditions.
K- A 1951 census showed that 0.75 million houses were needed to solve homelessness, same number in 1931.
A+- No progress to solving homelessness in the UK in the last 20 years
E- Over 3 years the Labour government managed to build 157,000 prefab houses. Targets to rebuild and build 200,000 houses a year were not even close to being met meaning many were still living in derelict conditions or homelessness.
(Labour Government Success Essay)
Main Points
- First Giant ‘Want’
- Second Giant ‘Disease’
- Third Giant ‘Ignorance’
- Fifth Giant ‘Squalor’
Not Successful
Liberal Reforms Introduction Essay
Main Points
- Booth and Rowntree’s Reports
- National Security
- Municipal socialism
- Political Advantage
- New Liberalism
Booth and Rowntree’s Reports
Paragraph
K- Booth released his survey ‘Life and labour of the people of London’ in 1892 and Rowntree ‘Poverty – a study of town life’ during 1901, York, both on the poverty levels/conditions in Britain.
K- Both investigations revealed roughly 30% of the population was in poverty.
A- Proved that a large portion of the population was in poverty due to circumstances outwith their control.
A+- Took 5-14 years before any reforms were made, surveys not compelling.
E- During 1899 the Boer war took place where 35,000 farmers fought 450,000, taking 3 years to end. National security instantly alarmed the government while Booth and Rowntree’s report took many years to develop and introduce to parliament.
National Security
Paragraph
K- During the 1899 Boer war 25% of the male population were rejected on medical grounds.
K- ‘Royal commission in physical training in Scotland’ – 1903 and ‘Physique of Glasgow schoolchildren’ – 1904 surveys to study the health standards of the public.
A- Revealed the horrific state of health in the Uk and it made Britain seem weak compared to other countries.
A+- Only immediate change from the survey was a change in schools which had little to no effect on current issues.
E- Army admittance standards had to be lowered from 5’6 in 1845 to 5’2. Health standards were lowering which everyone saw as a factor unlike municipalities socialism which had opposition.
Municipal socialism
Paragraph
K- 1873 Mayor John Chamberlain bought water works with local tax money to supply clean water 3x a week to deprived areas
K- Glasgow council bought the gas + water works suppling gas streetlights and clean water to deprived areas.
A- Improvements by local councils could be successful and highlighted benefits the government could do
A+- People against this as the rich were being taxed the most, poor are benefiting the most
E- Robert Baden-Powell “Recent reports on the deterioration of our race ought to act as a warning to be taken in time before it goes too far.” Public didn’t see Booth and Rowntree’s report but could see the level of starvation and weakness in their children and neighbours.
