Britain : Poverty and Pauperism Flashcards
What act introduced workhouses ?
Knatchbull Act 1722
When was the Speenhamland system introduced ?
1795
What was the attitude about the Speenhamland system ?
“It was humiliating for fully employed laborer’s to receive part of their income in form of parish charity.” - RJ Cootes
What was the main problem with Speenhamland for the Government ?
Too expensive
What was the population rise in 1801 - 1831?
9.2 million - 13.9 million
What was the cost of poor relief in 1785 - 1817 ?
£2 million - £8 million
How many soldiers returned home form the Napoleonic war ?
400,000
Who had to pay for the poor relief in 1815 ?
Ratepayers (Tax payers), began to vastly change attitudes
What was Ricardo’s wage fund theory ?
A fixed fund at any given time for wages and so if some workers wanted to increase their wages, it would come at the expense of other workers’ wages.
What was the idea that poverty would always be prevalent in society ?
Fatalistic ideas
How much of the north and south received poor relief ?
10% of the North
23% of the South
What scared people who had earnt lots of money ?
The industrial revolution - If it can be made so fast it can also be lost just as quick - Looked to separate themselves from them.
Why did people view poverty as a social evil ?
People would become reliant on the system (Lazy)
Two Individualists
Thomas Malthus, Joseph Townsend
What is individualism ?
For the improvement of society, there was a need for a group that would demonstrate the hardship you work so hard to avoid
What did Townsend write ?
Dissertation on the Poor Laws 1786 - Said relief actively promoted worse characteristics
Two Collectivists ?
Thomas Paine
Robert Owen
What is Collectivism ?
The government should plan for the welfare of the people - Poverty was the failure of the system not the person
What did Robert Owen do ?
At New Lenark he would educate his workers in hopes of “raising up” his people
Two Utilitarians ?
Edwin Chadwick
Jeremy Bentham
What is Utilitarianism ?
That human nature is to be motivated by two things, pleasure and pain
What did the Royal commission do1832 ?
Tried to investigate poverty around the country - Asked 15,000 parishes, but only 10% returned the questionnaires
What problem did the Royal Commission discover ?
Britain lacked a national system
What did the Royal Commission recommend ?
Remove outdoor relief
Punishment in workhouses
Create a central board for the whole country
When was the PLAA ?
1834
What did the PLAA do to workhouse ?
Made them significantly worse - deterent
The 15,000 parishes were amalgamated into groups of … ?
30
Who elected workhouse gaurdians ?
Ratepayers
When was the Andover workhouse scandal ?
1846
Who was the master of the Andover workhouse ?
Colin McDougal
What happened at Andover ?
McDougal was assaulting female inmates
Wouldn’t feed inmates enough - Caught eating raw meat of the bone in the bone crushing house
Why was Andover significant ?
Exposed the atrocious conditions of a workhouse
What was apparent about all poor law relief ?
Too expensive
How much did it cost to open a workhouse in Banbury ?
£6,200
Why did political parties dislike the poor laws ?
Would lose them votes
What happened at Todmorden ?
Radical MP and Factory owner John Fielden closed his own factory in protest of the election of the guardians and refused to pay poor rates.
What did John Fielden’s workers do ?
They attacked the homes of local guardians, meant troops had to be sent
