Crimes In The Industrial Period Flashcards
By the early 1700s, highway robbery had become infamous and in some areas reached epidemic proportions. How were they viewed how were they attempted to be stopped?
Highway robbers were greatly feared by ordinary traveller and were regarded by the authorities as a major disruption to trade. In 1772, the death penalty was introduced for anyone found armed and disguised on a high road
Why did highway robbery increase?
Travel:
Improved roads led to more people travelling and stagecoaches were introduced with regular staging posts, where travellers could rest for the night
Technology:
Handguns had become easier to obtain and quicker to load and fire and horses were cheaper to buy
Wealth and poverty:
Increases trade between towns meant more goods and money were transported by roads
When was the last reported case of highway robbery?
1831
What caused the decline of highway robbery?
Technology:
As road surfaces began to improve, stagecoaches could travel more quickly and allowing victims to escape easier
Government:
Mounted patrols were set up around London and high rewards encouraged informers to report on the activities of highwaymen
Wealth and poverty:
The banking system became more sophisticated over time and the number of banks grew, so fewer travellers carried large amounts of money
Who was Dick Turpin?
The most famous highwayman was Dick Turpin. Before turning to highway robbery, he was a butcher, who joined a gang of robbers. He stole cattle, burgled houses and stole money from people. He later turned to highway robbery in Lincolnshire with his partner Tom King. After shooting his partner he fled to Yorkshire and changed his name. In 1739, he was caught and jailed for horse theft in York.
What had poaching previously been viewed as?
How did the authorities now view it in the industrial period?
Poaching used to be viewed as a social crime but the authorities took it very seriously
What act was passed after a group of poachers took part in a series of poaching raids?
The 1723 Black Act. This made hunting deer, hare, or rabbits a capital crime. Anyone armed or disguised with a blackened face in a hunting area was assumed to be poaching and could be executed
Why were some of the most unpopular laws those that dealt with poaching?
Because people felt that poachers were poor people who needed food and the law existed to protect the wealth of landowners. This was because anyone who owned land worth £100 or more could hunt without restriction
When was the Black Act repealed and how did this change the severity of poaching?
The Black Act was repealed in 1823 and poaching remained a crime but it was no longer punishable by death
What did smugglers do in the 18th century?
Brought tea, cloth, wine and spirits into the country without paying any import tax(customs duty) on them
Why did the authorities take smuggling so seriously and what was the punishment of it?
At a time when there was no income tax and duties were the main source of government income, the authorities took it very seriously and under the Bloody Code, smuggling carried the death penalty.
Why did smuggling increase from 1740 to 1850?
Tax on imported goods were so high and smugglers made large profits by bringing in these goods into the country without paying any tax and selling them on. This led to large gangs of smugglers, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, which smuggled huge volumes of good
Why was smuggling so hard to stamp out?
Wealthy people also took part in smuggling and respectable gov’t ministers were known to have smuggled wine into the country
Ordinary people turned a blind eye to smuggling and were happy to pay low prices for goods and disliked the expensive duties
Locals who helped the smugglers carry goods from ships to shore could expect to earn nearly twice the average labourers daily wage
In what year was the Witchcraft act repealed?
In 1736 and these decriminalised it as a capital crime and was now mostly regarded as a crime of deception
What were the three reasons why witchcraft stopped being a crime?
Economic and social changes led to more prosperity and political stability
People became less superstitious
The Royal Society, set up by Charles II, led to increased scientific experiments that explained things previously though to be the work of witches
