Chapter 14 - The Whig response to social change Flashcards
When was the first Factory Act introduced?
1833
When was slavery abolished in Britain?
1833
When was the Poor Law Amendment Act?
1834
When was the Municipal Corporations Act?
1835
What was an influence on the Whigs’ reforming policies of the 1830s?
The continuing influence of radical agitation
What was preparation for reform usually preceded by in the 1830s and how did the Whigs improve this?
Usually preceded by the findings of a Select Committee of the House of Commons, system was improved through greater use of Royal Commissions
How were Royal Commissions an improvement on Select Committees?
They included experts as well as MPs, so the opinion of people other than just those in Parliament started to matter more
What were the 5 key areas of Whig reform in the 1830s?
- Slavery
- Education
- Factories
- Municipal Corporations
- The Poor Law
What was the main concern for education reformers in the 1830s?
The lack of education provision for poor and working-class children
How had industrialisation created a need for education reform?
An industrialised society needed a better educated and more literate workforce
How many working-class children were attending Bible classes on a Sunday by 1830?
Over 1 million
What did working-class children learn at Sunday schools?
How to read
What is the significance of Sunday schools being on that day?
It was the only day that the children had off work
Who started up the first Sunday schools?
Methodist chapels
What financed Sunday schools?
Voluntary contributions from the congregation or benefactors
What was the most successful early school system for the poor?
The Monitorial system
What was the Monitorial system?
A style of schooling where older children would be taught a topic, and would then teach the same topic to younger children
What were two organisations which used the Monitorial system?
The National Society and the British and Foreign Society
When were both the National Society and the British and Foreign Society founded?
1811
Who founded the National Society?
The Church of England
Who led the British and Foreign Society?
Joseph Lancaster, a Quaker
What was the main difference between the National Society and the British and Foreign Society?
The National Society taught Anglicanism whilst the British and Foreign Society made no mention of religion
What did the Government do in 1833 to help educate the poor?
Gave a grant of £20,000 to be shared between the National Society and the British and Foreign Society
What were the voluntary schools of the early 19th century unable to cope with?
Rapid urban development
Who opposed the grant given to the education system in 1833 by the government and why?
The traditional political classes, who opposed working class children spending time learning to read when they could be employed on a factory floor
How was the system of giving money to the British and Foreign and National Societies improved?
Salaried inspectors were appointed to improve accountability
What 2 things happened to the grant to the British and Foreign and National Societies in 1839?
It was increased to £30,000, and a Cabinet committee was appointed to oversee how the money was spent
What did the 1843 Factory Education Bill attempt to do?
Make schooling under Anglican direction compulsory for child labourers