Crime and punishment In The Modern Period

Question 1

What is smuggling?

Answer 1

illegally moving goods in and out of the country.

Question 2

What was it difficult for authorities to tackle smuggling?

Answer 2

It was a “social crime” so many people benefitted from the cheaper goods so did not see it as wrong doing. People therefore helped conceal them and didn’t report them. Smugglers also worked at night so they could not be seen large smuggler gangs such as the Hawkhurst Gang controlled it along long stretches of the south coast. They were organised and worked on a large scale.

Question 3

Why did people argue that smuggling was an issue caused by the government?

Answer 3

Because the government had introduced and extended import duties.

Question 4

What led to the decline in smuggling?

Answer 4

It became less profitable as prime minister William Pitt lowered import duties in the 1780s and they were then lowered again making it cheaper not smuggle.

Question 5

What is highway robbery?

Answer 5

A crime involving threatening or attacking travellers and forcing them to hand over valuable possessions.

Question 6

Why did highway robbery increase in the 18th century?

Answer 6

As trade increased, there was more need to move goods and money around. With no cheques or credit cards people carried large sums of cash with them . There also many isolated country roads where it was easy to not get caught as well as Turnpike Trusts improving roads increasing travel.

Question 7

Why was highway robbery serious?

Answer 7

It caused disruption in towns, crimes were committed on “the king’s highway” and it often disrupted the postal service.

Question 8

What was the punishment for highway robbery?

Answer 8

In 1772, the death penalty (hanging) was introduced for anyone armed and in disguise on a highway.

Question 9

What led to the decline in highway robbery?

Answer 9

It was due to the use of mountain patrols on major roads in the 19th century and the growth of the banking system meaning less need for people to carry large sums of cash.

Question 10

What were the changes to poaching in this period?

Answer 10

The 1723 Black Act was passed to deal with gangs by making poaching a capital offence. This made it illegal to blacken your face in a hunting area, carrying snares or owning dogs. This was due to the widespread crime and increases in gangs.

Question 11

Why were the changes to poaching resented?

Answer 11

They were seen as unfair. Only landowners with land worth over £100 a year were allowed to hunt without restrictions.

Question 12

What happened to the Black Act in 1823?

Answer 12

It was repealed as a part of a large number of legal reforms led by Robert Peel. Poaching was still illegal but no longer punishable by death.

Question 13

Why was witchcraft decriminalised?

Answer 13

most people no longer believed in witches and witchcraft. People who said that they were witches were seen as confidence tricksters.

Question 14

What Act was Passed decriminalising witchcraft?

Answer 14

The Witchcraft Act in 1736 during the reign of George II

Question 15

After the decriminalisation of witchcraft, what were the punishments for people accused?

Answer 15

fines and imprisonments

Question 16

The story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs-

why was George loveless arrested?

Answer 16

He was supposedly arrested for leaving work, breaking an old navy law meant to stop sailors in the navy organising mutinies. He was actually arrested.though to stop his political activities

Question 17

The story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs-

what George form?

Answer 17

He formed a “friendly society” (early form of trade union) to protest against low wages.

Question 18

The story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs-

what happened to them as a result of the “friendly society”?

Answer 18

George and the other men were sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia leading to protests and a demonstration in London in which 100,000 attended. They were therefore welcomed upon their return as heroes.

Question 19

What were the advantages of transportation?

Answer 19

• They were an alternative to building new prisons
• The prisoners would populate the new colony allowing Britain to secure its ownership
• It was seen as an effective deterrent and more human than the death penalty for petty crimes.

Question 20

What were the disadvantages of transportation?

Answer 20

• The prison buildings in colonies were overcrowded meaning some prisoners were kept in hulks (floating prisons)
• conditions were harsh and prisoners were kept on chains in prison buildings
• those who had a 7 year sentence could often not afford to return home
• convict workers meant fewer jobs for Australians
• Australia had high crime due to all of the criminals

Question 21

What was the continuity in policing in the early 18th century?

Answer 21

Watchmen continued to patrol cities on foot at night, parish constables continued to deal with petty crime and watchmen were organised by parish councils to protect private property.

Question 22

Who were the Bow Street Runners?

Answer 22

They were a crime fighting team established in London in 1748 by the chief Magistrate: Henry Fielding who by 1785, were paid by the government. They introduced new methods of finding evidence to bring criminals to justice (effectively being the first modern detectives).

Question 23

Who was Robert Peel?

Answer 23

He was a created the first metropolitan police force for London. He made many senior decisions as home secretary and later prime minster to implement his ideas.

Question 24

Why did Robert Peel form the Metropolitan Police Force?

Answer 24

Due to economic downturn in since 1826, there was increased unemployment and poverty leading to a crime wave and rioting. He wanted a better more centralised system to fight crime.

Question 25

What was the Metropolitan Police Act of 1822?

Answer 25

An Act that set up a parliamentary committee by Peel to tackle the issue of policing in London. They helped him come up with the Met.

Question 26

What were Peels reforms to the Penal Code?

Answer 26

Due to the high numbers of capital crimes which were often not enforced (as they were seen as unfair), Peel reduced the number of crimes punished by death by 100 to try to reform petty criminals rather than kill them.

Question 27

What were the metropolitan police officers for?

Answer 27

The aim of them was to prevent crime and disorder and to be impartial and objective. It was a well paid, highly trained profession in uniform in which physical force was only used as a last resort. They focused on areas of high crime.

Question 28

what did Peel do to reform prisons?

Answer 28

peel persuaded parliament to pass the 1823 Gaols Act. to improve prison conditions.

Question 29

What were prison conditions like in this period?

Answer 29

They were poor, but being increasingly more used. They often involved hard labour which many reformers did not like as they thought that prisons should be more focused on rehabilitation.

Question 30

Who was John Howard and what did he do?

Answer 30

He was a prison reformer who’s work led to the 1774 Gaol Act which suggested how health and sanitation in prisons could be improved.

Question 31

Who was Elizabeth Fry and what did she do?

Answer 31

She was a prison reformer whom visited women in Newgate prison in 1813. She set up education classes to reform female prisoners and got them better food and clothes.

Question 32

What was the Pentonville prison?

Answer 32

It was a model for a new idea about how prisons should be run and prisoners treated. It included wings housing dozens with thick walls. The cells contained a loom for work, a wash basin & toilet and a bed with a mattress and blanket..

Question 33

That were the pros and cons of the Pentonville Prison?

Answer 33

Prisoners were isolated, giving them time to reflect on what they had done, it was seen as a deterrent but isolation led to mental illness and there was no instruction or education to improve prisoners.