Economic and Social Changes in late C18th and Early C19th Britain - Explain why the Swing Riots occured

Question 1

Industry

Answer 1

• Urban Industrial areas
• New machines e.g. Spinning Jenny (1764)
• Drift from domestic manufacture to the factory
• Long hours
• Mechanisation
• Steam power (1785)
• Growth in coal + iron
• Railway building 1830s
• De-skilling

Question 2

Agriculture

Answer 2

• Erosion of old strip-farming system
• Enclosure + larger fields
• Better breeding techniques
• Some farmers became richer and more successful
• Small farmers lost land = destitution or migration to cities
• Agriculture in depression for 20 years after 1815
• Poverty of rural labourers

Question 3

Society and Poverty

Answer 3

• New urban ‘working’ class
• Sprawling towns
• Population increased from 11 million in 1851
• Dirty overcrowded new towns
• Disease
• Migration from rural to urban areas

Question 4

Changes in Society:

1. Distribution of Power

Answer 4

• New M/C wealth based on industry, not land
• M/C urban not rural
• M/C resented lack of political power
• Presence of semi + un-skilled industrial workers eroded dominance of skilled craftsmen
• Increasing numbers of rural poor

Question 5

Changes in Society:

2. Living Conditions in Towns

Answer 5

• Population increase e.g. 1801 = 10 million; 1901 = 32.5 million
• Population grew especially in large industrial towns
• Migration of rural labourers into towns
• Large industrial towns couldn’t cope as local Govt was ineffective
• Poor town planning
• Overcrowding and poor living conditions
• Disease was widespread e.g. Cholera

Question 6

Changes in Society:

3. Working Conditions

Answer 6

• Working day in industry was far more rigidly organized and a major loss of independence
• Domestic system of production changes to Factory System
• Foremen became the disciplinarians + managers. Owners held tremendous power
• Hours were long and rigid, conditions were awful and craft skills superseded by machines
• Pay was low and child labour extensively used.

Question 7

Changes in Society:

4. Theories of Govt

Answer 7

• Laissez Faire and owner autonomy
• Jeremy Bentham + Utilitarianism: the function of Govt was to promote the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. To be achieved in 2 ways:
  > Govt administration of the Country should be made as efficient as possible
  > Laissez Faire guiding principle of Govt

Question 8

Changes in Society:

5. Reactions to Social and Working Conditions

Answer 8

• Desire for greater efficiency prompted Govt to become involved in reform
• Notion of laissez faire in non-economic areas was slowly abandoned
• Improved education to maintain Britain’s economic position = more advanced techniques and skilled labour
• Social reform to maintain political stability
• Social reform to maintain political stability
• Lower classes still had a lack of political representation and limits on ability to organize
• Reform was dictated from above.