Chapter 4 - Social developments Flashcards
What was the traditional social order in Britain based on?
A small, wealthy, landowning elite comprising the monarch and aristocracy in authority over the rest of the population
What caused changes to the traditional social order in Britain during the early industrial revolution?
Rapid population growth, the effects of agricultural change, shift of population to urban areas, industrialisation
What emerged with the growing urban centres during the early industrial revolution?
A strong and growing middle class
Approximately what proportion of the population did the middle class make up in 1800?
25%
Who ran and organised the new industrial world during the early industrial revolution?
The middle class
How did the middle class mimic the upper classes during the early industrial revolution?
By building large town houses and adopting a pattern of social behaviour that mimicked the upper classes’
When did the Friendly Societies Act come into place?
1793
In what years were the French Wars going on?
1793-1815
In what years of the 1790s were there poor harvests in Britain?
1795 and 1796, then 1799 and 1800
When was the income tax first introduced during wartime and who was it unpopular with?
1798, the wealthier classes
When did Robert Owen take charge of New Lanark mills?
1800
When did the Combination Acts come into force?
1799 and 1800
What did the Combination Acts do?
Made it illegal for working class men to meet together to demand better wages and working conditions, as well as allowing people to be dealt with by magistrates instead of a jury
What class were the majority of the population in urban centres during the early industrial revolution?
Working class
When was the Speenhamland system of poor relief first introduced?
1795
What was the Speenhamland system of poor relief?
It supplemented wages with an allowance that varied according to the price of bread and the size of a labourer’s family
Why was the Speenhamland system ultimately a failure?
It became an unacceptable burden on parish rates
What 2 types of worker was the industrial workforce comprised of during the early industrial revolution?
Skilled craftsmen and unskilled labourers
What type of wage did the industrial workforce receive?
An hourly one, which would be higher than that of agricultural workers
Who usually subscribed to Friendly Societies?
Skilled craftsmen
What was one disadvantage shared by all classes of the new urban society during the early industrial revolution?
A lack of political rights and representation
What was the result of the lack of political rights for the urban population during the early industrial revolution?
A flourishing of enlightened ideas and an establishment of a scope for radicalism, demands for reform and disturbances in major cities
What had made rural landowners even more prosperous during the early industrial revolution?
Enclosure, agricultural improvements and excavation of mineral deposits, such as iron and coal, on their land
Who controlled most political, economic and social activity in rural districts during the early industrial revolution?
The landowning classes
Who made up the majority of the rural population during the early industrial revolution?
Landless agricultural workers