Chapter Ten Flashcards
In 1801 and 1831, which cities in Britain had populations of over 100,000?
1801: London and Dublin
By 1831: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham Bristol and Leeds had all exceeded that size.
What were the reasons for the migration of the population to large towns and cities/
Jobless, unskilled labourers moving, and the influx of poverty-stricken landless Irish peasants, looking for a better life.
How was the population arranged in towns and cities? What problems did this cause?
Wealthy middle classes segregated themselves from the rest in large houses in leafy suburbs, and the respectable middling ranks lived in neat terraced houses not too far from the town centre. The vast majority lived in overcrowded cramped tenement dwellings in the centre. Often housed entire family in one room, few basic facilities, limited water supply and primitive sanitation. Disease spread.
What was the system of local government?
There was an absence of a system of local government which emphasised the social problems. Many boroughs had declined/expanded into large industrial towns due to urbanisation but were stil run by a mayor and corporation, motivated by self-interest, and not introducing any improvements. Eg lighting, drainage, water supply, sanitation or transport.
What action did the Government take against Social Problems?
Social Problems due to economic growth and continued Industrialisation 1812-1832 were made worse by the Government’s failure to recognise them and address them.
What were the conditions in the factories like?
Poorly ventilated. Working up to 16 hours a ay, six days a week for little pay. Little personal communication between workers and their boss. Work in factories mostly done by women and children as they were easier to manage, cheaper to pay. Children used to clear jams. Common use of orphans. Child labour was not new though.
What was the system of education in the factories?
No state provision for children’s schooling. Considered by many middle and upper class people to be socially dangerous amongst the poorer classes- may encourage revolutionary thinking. Sunday Schools existed to teach children about scriptures, remove the worst ignorance but keep them in their place.
What was the system of poor relief?
Poor relief was unable to cope with large-scale urbanisation and the flood of farm labourers and those who were replaced by machines. Expanding crime rate, and begging on streets. Existing system was Speenhamland System, unable to cope with huge pop increase. E.g in countryside farmer reduced wages to level at which an agricultural labourer could qualiy.
What did the rise in population cause?
Rise in migration of t he British overseas which was a powerful force in the extension of the British empire. After 1815, due to peace in Napoleonic wars, and economic downturn, migration rise.
What were the two main positive impacts of Industrialisation?
Greater wealth was created and a larger population sustained.
- Middle classes all prospered as a result.
- Facilitated the growth of trade unions as large numbers of men now worked together in close proximity, giving them the opportunity to share their dissatisfaction and exchange info more easily.
What is the general agreement amongst Historians regarding wages and statistics?
Statistical evidence to support this period is incomplete- cannot compare money wages against prices. Real wages did however rise considerably after Nap was but much of this was due to falling prices rather than a rise in wages.
When assessing the standard of living, apart from wages what factors need to be taken into account?
Size of family, cost of essentials, effect fof the move from the countrryside to the town, patterns of consumption, frequency of unemployment, number of dependants, avalability ofcommunity support and charbitable funds, payments in kind.
Who did the standard of living improve most significantly for?
Conditions of the middle classes improved to a greater extent than those of the majority of the labouring classes.
Why were the working classes discontent?
Enclosure destroyed livelihood of many small farmers and created a class of landless labourers, Industrialisation provided a harsher and mmore discplined system of working within the factory, living conditions caused resentment. Social segregation in towns with wealthier in larger houses on outskirts and no personal communication- difference from rural life where there was personal communication between village squire and farm hand. Discontent relates to ECONOMY.
The economy functioned in cycles. What impact did this have?
Did not improve at a steady rate- instead there were periods of boom and bust. During economic slump wages were reduced or people dismissed. Bad harvests were also periodic, making this worse. Price of bread, labourers staple diet would rise.
