causes of radical discontent after 1812

Question 1

How did E. P. Thompson describe the years between 1815 and 1821?

Answer 1

“the heroic age of popular radicalism”

Question 2

Causes of economic depression after 1812?
(economic)

Answer 2

• the Napoleonic war ended in 1815 and the demand for armaments stopped, as did the demand for coal, iron and
  other raw materials.
• unemployment was high, and was made worse by
  the demobilisation of around 300,000 soldiers and sailors.
  -there was extremely bad harvests in 1816
• working class suffered the most as upper class had inherited wealth
• Briton 861 million in debt

Question 3

How did Industrial growth and urbanisation worsen conditions leading to discontent?
(social, economic)

Answer 3

• the development of large
  towns with ‘slum’ conditions , not enough food or housing, unsanitary diseases spread easily.
• Factory workers
  experienced poor conditions, with a complete lack of
  regulations.
• an increase in the use of new technology meant that many people in the older industries feared losing their jobs.

Question 4

What impact did low corn prices have on discontent?
(economic, gov action)

Answer 4

• Corn prices dropped by around 50% between 1813 and 1815 so the government passed the Importation Act (Corn Laws) in 1815.
• This forbade the import of foreign corn until the price in Britain had reached 80s a quarter.
• WC could no longer afford bread and poor harvests between 1816 and 1819 drove the price even higher.
• aristocratic protectionism

Question 5

How did taxation change in 1816?
(economic, gov action, political)

Answer 5

• Income tax had been introduced in 1797 to raise money for the war.
• forced to abolish the tax in 1816 but increased
  indirect taxes on consumer goods.
• The poor, who had not paid income tax,
  were now disproportionately affected by indirect tax.

Question 6

Who where the leading radicals after 1812?
(political, social)

Answer 6

• most of the radical societies of the 1790s had been
  stamped out by 1812,
• Henry Hunt, Francis Place and William Cobbett
  were pressing for social, economic and political reform.
• Their ideas began to influence the working classes.

Question 7

What was wrong with the pre-1832 parliamentary system?
(social, political)

Answer 7

• a small proportion of the population could vote in 1812
• working and middle classes were start to realise that the vote may help solve some of the other problems

Question 8

How did population increase further discontent?
(social)

Answer 8

• Between 1801 and 1821 Britain’s population grew at an unprecedented rate, increasing by 25.5%.
• This rising population put great pressure on the land to feed more mouths.

Question 9

what was the development of radical press?

Answer 9

• leading radical journalist became increasingly influencial
• this helped the WC become more literate
• William Cobbetts newspaper the political register sold 200,000 copies in 2 months

Question 10

what were the political clubs?

Answer 10

• Hampton clubs founded by John Cartwright & Francis Burnett allowed people to discuss parliamentary reform and spread political ideas amongst the working classes.
• 700 petitions for parliamentary reform were presented to the government in 1817.
• Union Clubs, often formed by working class men, providing the chance for members to hold meetings and read pamphlets and newspapers.

Question 11

what was hunger politics?

Answer 11

• some believe economic depression made working class people inclined to accept the arguments William Cobbett of the radical leaders. They also stress that subsequent mass movements took place in times of hunger e.g. Chartists.
• others suggest a fundamental shift in the outlook of the working classes and relate this to wider changes associated with the Industrial Revolution + becoming more literate was the cause of discontent in this period.