Growth of trade unions

Question 1

Factory system consolidated

Answer 1

1769

Question 2

small units labour cottage

Answer 2

master journeyman apprentice

Question 3

wages low as possible

Answer 3

12-15 shillings (poverty wage 9 shillings/week in 1834)

Didn’t increase with inflation

Question 4

population, causing high job demand

Answer 4

6-17 million in 1750-1850

Question 5

local strike action

Answer 5

e.g 1765 miners in northeast

Question 6

1834

Answer 6

Grand National

Question 7

Grand National failure

Answer 7

‘The Document’
claimed to have 1 million signatures
motive of mutual protection, working class solidarity

Question 8

1793

Answer 8

London Printer’s Association
539 signatures to increase wages
Successful

Question 9

free trade

Answer 9

workers had to protect themselves and their rights

Question 10

War and laws introduced

Answer 10

1793, French
1799 income tax
1815 corn law
issue of wages felt more acutely/climate for economic discontent

Question 11

soldiers

Answer 11

thousands returned to no work

Question 12

wigan

Answer 12

1799 Wigan weavers formed to stop wage reduction

14 branches in Lancashire by May

Question 13

why did withdraw intervention?

Answer 13

believed prosperity happens with minimum intervention

Question 14

laws to stop unions

Answer 14

1799/1800 Combination Acts

1797 unlawful Oaths Act with harsher sentences for favoured , repealed 1824, suggesting failure and legitimised increase

Question 15

John Doherty

Answer 15

1829 2 unions including National Association for Protection of Labour
Both only lasted 2 years

Question 16

Reasons for expansion trade societies

Answer 16

• factory system increased demand for workers (understood profitability to employer)
• government reluctant to interfere (market forces + entrepreneurialism), leads to exploitation

Question 17

Trade societies, who represented

Answer 17

skilled tradesmen e.g printers, cobblers, mechanics

Question 18

how did trade societies protect status?

Answer 18

‘closed shop’ practices

monitor entry to professions/regulate process of apprenticeship (only employ union members)

Question 19

example knobsticks attacked

Answer 19

verbally or physically

e.g Saw Grinders’ Union strike in Sheffield 1866

Question 20

knobsticks reason

Answer 20

financial implications of refusing to work undermined militancy