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AQA A Level History Industrialisation and the People: Britain 1783-1885 (1F) > Chapter 17 - Economic developments 1932-46 > Flashcards

Chapter 17 - Economic developments 1932-46 Flashcards

1
Q

An estimated how many Irish had emigrated by 1851 since the start of the famine?

A

1.5 million

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2
Q

When did rapid railway building begin in Britain?

A

After the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester line in September 1830

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3
Q

What are some other industries which benefited from the expansion of the railways in Britain in the 1830s and 40s?

A

Iron, Coal, Construction

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4
Q

What did the railway boom require from capitalists?

A

A huge commitment from investors, and underlying confidence in the stability of the economy

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5
Q

Who are 3 well-known engineers associated with the railway revolution?

A
  1. George Stephenson
  2. Robert Stephenson
  3. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
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6
Q

Who was appointed as Chief Engineer of the London to Birmingham railway in 1837?

A

Robert Stephenson

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7
Q

Who was Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway during its construction?

A

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

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8
Q

When was the Institute of Civil Engineers founded?

A

1818

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9
Q

Who was George Hudson?

A

Known as the ‘Railway King’, he was important in funding the construction of many railways in the 1840s, but was disgraced due to financial irregularities in many of his businesses

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10
Q

Why did ‘Railway Mania’ occur in the 1840s rather than the 1830s?

A

There was a delay in railway construction due to planning and preparation necessary

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11
Q

What caused the ‘Railway Mania’?

A

The fact that, by the 1840s, many railway lines were operating at a profit and so there was a scramble to invest in railways

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12
Q

How many different railway companies were there by the early 1840s?

A

Over 200

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13
Q

When was the Railway Clearing House set up?

A

1842

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14
Q

What did the Railway Clearing House do?

A

Managed a system of revenue distribution among different railway companies

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15
Q

What was a major problem with the railway system in the 1840s?

A

There were too many different railway companies, so passengers or goods could use the facilities of several companies per journey, making revenue distribution complicated

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16
Q

How many miles of railways were there in 1832?

A

Just over 100 miles

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17
Q

How many miles of railways were there in 1846?

A

Over 4000 miles

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18
Q

How many miles of railways were there in 1843?

A

Nearly 2000 miles

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19
Q

Why did the coal industry expand because of railways?

A

Coal was needed to fuel locomotives

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20
Q

Why did the iron industry expand because of railways?

A

It was needed to make rails and rolling stock (the railway vehicles)

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21
Q

How were consumer goods industries boosted by the expansion of railways?

A

Goods could be transported more quickly and cheaply, giving them a wider distribution

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22
Q

How did railways boost agriculture?

A

Fresh produce such as milk could be delivered to large centres of population

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23
Q

Why did exports increase because of railways?

A

Not only could goods be transported to ports better, but railway design and construction were exported as well

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24
Q

Why did railways benefit political parties and trade unions?

A

People could organise and attend gatherings better, and could communicate more easily

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25
How was national communication boosted by the railways?
The postal system was sped up and national newspapers flourished
26
How was tourism boosted by the railways?
People could visit domestic tourist spots such as seaside towns more easily
27
What was Gladstone responsible for in terms of railways as Peel's President of the Board of Trade?
The 1844 Railway Act
28
What did the 1844 Railway Act stipulate?
That every railway company had to provide a carriage for 3rd class passengers, and that the fare should be capped at 1p per mile
29
What industries were damaged by the development of railways?
Other transport industries such as canal and coaches
30
By what year was the process of Enclosure virtually complete?
1850
31
In what years of the 1830s and 1840s were there enclosure acts?
1836 and 1845
32
What advantages did increased enclosure from 1832-46 bring?
- Easier soil improvement - Increased grain for the urban population - More money for investment in farming
33
What did a clause in the 1845 Enclosure Act stipulate?
That any open land in the immediate vicinity of a village or town was to be preserved in perpetuity
34
What did the 1846 Agricultural Drainage Act do?
Set up loans for farmers to improve field drainage
35
What effect did the stability of the price of wheat in the years after 1838 have?
New capital expenditure in agriculture
36
What effect did the fall in poor rates caused by the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act have on agriculture?
Greater income for farmers, with which they could invest
37
What technological improvements occurred in farming in the 1830s and 1840s?
- Steam drainage - Greater use of fertilisers - Development of light iron and steam-powered implements
38
How many acres could one steam engine drain by the 1840s?
6000
39
What advantage did steam drainage provide farmers?
The land was dry enough to grow wheat, rather than less profitable oats
40
How was the drainage of heavy clay soils dealt with in the 1840s?
By manufacturing clay tiles
41
When was the Royal Agricultural Society founded?
1842
42
What supported and encouraged agricultural improvements in the 1830s and 1840s?
A large number of agricultural societies
43
What proportion of families lived off the land in the 1830s and 40s?
Over 1/3
44
Who did not prosper despite the improvements in agriculture during the 1830s and 40s?
Landless agricultural labourers, who were still amongst the poorest paid in the country
45
How much were farm labourers paid in Dorset in the 1830s and 40s compared to those in Lancashire?
Half as much
46
Where were the poorest agricultural labourers in Britain by the 1840s?
The South and West of Ireland
47
How and why did wages and housing for agricultural labourers vary in the 1830s and 40s?
Depending on regions and the attitude of the farmer
48
Where was an especially prosperous area for agriculture during the 1830s and 40s?
The South and East of Scotland
49
What did the 1841 census record the population of Ireland as?
Around 9 million
50
In what conditions did almost half of Ireland's population live in 1841?
Living in poverty in small one or two-room hovels in the countryside, renting small amounts of land from absentee landlords
51
What was the main crop of Ireland by the 1840s?
The potato
52
When did the Irish Potato Famine occur?
1845-49
53
Why was the Irish Potato Famine especially devastating?
Because potatoes were the exclusive food of almost 90% of the Irish population
54
What caused homelessness during the Irish Potato Famine?
The fact that much of the population were subsistence farmers who sold their potatoes to pay the rent, meaning many were evicted
55
What did protectionists think of the Irish potato famine?
They thought it had been exaggerated in order to force the government to repeal the Corn Laws
56
Why was repealing the Corn Laws a good idea in theory to help deal with the Irish Potato Famine?
It would reduce bread prices, which could replace potatoes in the short term as a food source in Ireland
57
What 3 groups called for unrestricted importation of all foods in response to the Irish Potato Famine?
1. Whigs 2. Anti-Corn Law League 3. Free traders
58
What British actions in particular angered the Irish during the potato famine?
The British insisted on continued export of food to England from Ireland More exports than imports in 1846
59
What did the Protectionists within the Conservative Party feel repealing the Corn Laws would do?
- Destroy agricultural protection - Open the floodgates to cheap foreign corn (which would undercut their prices) - Lead to unemployment among agricultural labourers - Leave the nation vulnerable if it became dependent on foreign corn in case of war.
60
Why did the protectionists claim that middle-class manufacturers supported the repeal of the Corn Laws?
Because they thought that the manufacturers wanted the repeal as it would keep workers' wages low by lowering bread prices
61
An estimated how many Irish died due to malnutrition during the famine?
Around 1 million
62
What were the 2 most common destinations for Irish emigrants during the famine?
The USA and Canada
63
When did Peel pass public works legislation in response to the Irish famine?
1846
64
What did the public works legislation of 1846 do?
Allocated funds for employment on roads and drainage works in Ireland. Half of the costs of road works was granted in aid
65
What was the intended effect of the public works legislation?
To increase employment in Ireland to help people afford food
66
Why was the public works legislation ineffective?
The population was starving and so was too weak/emaciated to be able to do hard labour. The policy would've worked better if it had been introduced earlier (1842)
67
When was the public works legislation phased out?
March 1847 (Russell)
68
How did Peel use direct aid to address the Irish famine?
Didn't provide much actual helpful direct aid. The government worked with approx 650 'Relief Committees' which bought grain and sold it on at cost price and chose those they felt were 'deserving' of relief
69
How did Peel use food policy to address the Irish famine?
He secretly purchased £100k worth of maize from the US via the Baring Brothers and lodged it in Irish depots for release to depress grain prices
70
What exacerbated the effects of the famine on the Irish population in 1849?
A cholera outbreak
71
What were the successes of Peel's policy in Ireland?
- Relatively low excess mortality 1845-6 - Contained political and peasant insurgency
72
What were the failures of Peel's policy in Ireland?
- Calculated everything on a single year of famine so had no contingency plan for 1846 onwards - Had no intention to interfere with grain prices beyond the repeal of the Corn Law - Provoked political backlash because of 'over-generosity' to Irish landlords and peasants
73
How did Peel respond to news of the Irish Potato Famine?
Told his cabinet that the Corn Laws must be repealed immediately
74
Why did Peel resign in December 1845?
Fierce opposition to his plan to repeal the Corn Laws
75
When did the repeal of the Corn Laws occur?
May 1846
76
Why did Peel return despite resigning in 1845?
His Whig opponent John Russell couldn't form a government
77
Why did the repeal of the Corn Laws bring little relief to Ireland?
It was phased over 3 years
78
What was the 1850 recovery in Ireland in line with?
The agricultural boom in the rest of Britain
79
Why was the repeal of the Corn Laws of some benefit to the poor?
It prevented a rise in bread prices
80
Was there a sudden fall in the price of corn after the Corn Laws were repealed?
No

AQA A Level History Industrialisation and the People: Britain 1783-1885 (1F) (27 decks)

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