Britain Booklet 4 Flashcards
What were knobsticks?
Workers who refused to do the strikes e.g. immigrants with little money
What was the Grand National?
The Grand National was a consolidated trade union, and was the most successful one before 1834 and it had over one million members
How many members of the Grand National actually paid the fees?
16,000 out of 1 million
How did the Grand National fail the mill workers in Derby 1834?
1500 mill workers in Derby were locked out of their work place for failing to leave their unions, despite lasting four months without pay, they eventually returned to work because they weren’t supported enough by the Grand National
What was the ‘Document’?
The Document was a piece of paper workers were expected to sign which renounced their commitment to any union
What did the combination act do?
The combination act prohibited any trade unions being created
When were the combination acts repealed?
1824
What was the ASE?
Amalgamated Society of Engineers, founded in 1851
Which three unions combined to form the ASE?
Old Mechanics, the Steam Engine Makers’ Society and the General Smiths, this was the beginning of New Model Unionism
How did the ASE support London Builders?
The ASE gave three donations of £1000 which allowed them to hold out for six months
This forced a compromise with the employers
This showed the effectiveness of NMU
What is another example of an NMU that isn’t ASE?
ASCJ, Amalgamated society of carpentry and joiners
What was a limitation of NMUs?
Smaller local trade unions that couldn’t afford to join an NMU were left behind
NMUs would only operate in 1 specific trade
Why were trade councils created?
Trade Councils offered a broader form for union activity
Wider geographical area to promote the ideas of an industry within that area
Creating city-wide organisations
What was the Sheffield meeting?
Arranged by William Dranford
Series of violent actions undertaken by militant members of the Saw Grinders’ Union in Sheffield to secure better working conditions
What are Trade Councils?
Groups of local trade unions that form together in a geographical area to promote the interest of that industry in that area
How many workers had joined a trade union by 1874?
1 million
What was the molestation of workmen act, 1859?
Gave rights to workers who picketed peacefully during strikes but left the definition of ‘peaceful persuasion’ to the courts
How did the 1867 reform act help workers?
Many of the skilled workers gained the vote
What did the Trade Union Act, 1871 do?
Completely legalized trade unions
Who was Robert Owen?
Robert Owen was an industrialist and a committed reformer who believed strongly in the principle of education and the importance of providing welfare for his employees
What were some of the key features in Robert Owen’s New Lanark
Abolished punishments
Working day was shortened to 12 hours including a 1 1/2 hour break
No children under the age of 10 could work
A shop was opened selling high quality good at little more than cost price
Free education on site for children
How much annual profit did Robert Owen make at New Lanark?
In 1834, he boasted £300,000 annual profit
By 1832, how many cooperative stores were there in Britain
500
What were Co-Operatives?
Co-Operatives were an alternative for people which meant they had more control and felt part of a larger community, they were popular because they were run by people interested in the well being of their customers. People who helped out co-operatives received a dividend for being involved to ensure the long term survival of the store
In 1844, which new co-operative society was set up by how many men?
Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, by 28 men
What problems were the first Co-Operative shops facing?
Couldn’t afford to buy furniture and instead used barrels and planks to make a shop courier with smaller barrels and a plank for queuing members
Local wholesellers didn’t want to trade with the new cooperatives
What are some examples of the Rochdale principles?
Profits should be divided up according to the purchases made by each member
Management should be in the hands of elected leaders
Only the best products should be supplied to members
What were friendly societies?
Groups of workers who joined together to support one another when the need arose, usually illness or death
Why did the government want to regulate the friendly societies after 1789?
They believed they exhibited the same radical ideas as that in France and wanted to regulate them
By 1803, what percent of the population were members of a friendly society?
8%
By 1815, what percent of the population did friendly societies provide insurance for?
1/3
What was a negative for the friendly societies?
The continuous subscription on a weekly basis meant that the poorest workers (who would’ve benefited the most), were unable to join.
Those with irregular employment (season workers such as farming or ship building) were unable to afford the fees
If workers were unable to afford the fees they were often removed from the society
Which regions contained the most members of friendly societies?
North-West England - 14.2% of the population in 1815
North-East 10.2% of the population in 1815
What did the Friendly Societies Act, 1793 do?
Friendly Societies had to register with a local justice of the peace and send reports of their activities every three months
Each society had to draw up rules to govern themselves and these had to be written and not challenge the interests of the government
Documents had to be kept and given to the courts when necessary
By how much did Friendly Society membership outnumber Trade Unions?
4 to 1
How many members did friendly societies have after 1815?
Over 1 million
Which organisation was the forerunner of the TUC and formed in 1860?
London Trades Council
Name the three levels of workers
Apprentice, journeyman and master
During which years did Robert Owen run New Lanark?
1799-1828
What did Britain?s population increase to from 1750-1850?
6 million to 17 million
When were the Tolpuddle Martyrs arrested and what was their crime?
1834 and swearing an oath to try and improve their wages
How many members did the Amalgamated Society of Engineers have?
12,000
When was the first meeting of the TUC and how many attended?
1868 and 34 representatives
How many members did the Grand National have?
Over 1 million
