How Was British Society Changed, 1890-1918 Flashcards
0
Q
Who was Seebohm Rowntree and what did he do?
A
- social reformer
- rich son of factory owner with significant influence and respect
- found the poor were not to blame for their own situation
- made distinction between primary poverty (just enough money to survive) and secondary poverty (enough money to survive, but it is wasted)
- conducted studies in York, which appeared to agree with Charles Booth
- “A study of town life” (1901)
1
Q
Who was Charles Booth and what did he do?
A
- social reformer
- invented the poverty line
- between 1989 to 1903 he studied the life of the poor
- people took note of his findings since he was a respectful business man
- he found 30% of London lived in poverty
- found that the poor were not to blame for their own situation (poor wages, trade depression, old age, illness)
- “Life and Labour of People in London” (1903)
2
Q
Who was John Galt and what did he do?
A
- social reformer
- utilised photos to demonstrate the appalling situation of the poor and make them appear human
- poor people were not inferior
- “Poverty”, his picture book
3
Q
What were the key issues in the 1906 election, and why did the Liberals win?
A
- economic argument (Tories) vs. moral argument (Liberals)
- moral argument was incredibly powerful
- Liberals wanted to reduce the cost of living by decreasing import taxes
- Liberals wanted to free the Chinese labourers in SA, people agreed with this as Britain was a pioneer for freedom
4
Q
Winston Churchill and Lloyd George?
A
- Lloyd George grew up in poverty so sympathised with the poor
- he rose to Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1905 so had greater political influence
- Churchill was a leading Tory who switched to the Liberals because he agreed with their reforms
5
Q
What was the People’s Budget?
A
- Liberal reform proposed in 1909
- Rejected by House of Lords
- Budget was passed in 1910 after two elections
- 1906, The Children’s Act was passed which entitled children to free school meals
- 1907 local schools had to offer medical attention
- 1908, illegal to insure a child’s life
- special court for child crime
6
Q
Pensions reform in 1908?
A
- introduced by Lloyd George
- 5 shillings per week for over 70’s
- £650,000 collected in the first year
- had to have lived in Britain for over 20 years
7
Q
National Insurance Act of 1911?
A
- taxes introduced
- free medical care
- workers with less than £160 per annum had to put in 4d per week
- received 10 shillings a week for 26 weeks if they were sick
- workers, employers and the government would all pay a weekly fixed amount which would fund the benefit scheme
- for 15 weeks people would receive 7 shillings each week
8
Q
What are the argument in favour of women getting the vote?
A
- parliaments decisions affect men and women so both should be able to vote
- single women have the same responsibility of men and so should be able to vote
- women are more spiritual: Christian leadership will emerge if they get the vote
- increasing opportunities in education and work… Vote should follow
- women have different skills and expertise eg they could help parliament with issues on the home and education (where they are more knowledgable
- uneducated working men can vote while educated women cannot
- women already vote in local elections and have shown they have the ability to vote responsibly
- women pay taxes too, and should have influence on how that money is spent
9
Q
What are the arguments against women getting the vote?
A
- women have different responsibilities and it would only detract from theirs by giving them the vote
- only for property-owning women, who would not vote to help the working class
- women are too emotional and not rationale bought to be trusted with the vote
- women are pure and should be protected from the grubby world of politics
- women do not fight for their country in wars, so should not have a say in whether their country goes to war
- other more pressing issues such as poverty that will be ignored if he women’s vote is prioritised
- if you give the vote to women you must give it to all men, including those who should not (eg drunks)
- giving respectable women the vote will encourage them to further their careers and neglect their families. Thus, no respectable women will have children
10
Q
Who were the suffragettes?
A
- formed by suffragists who were frustrated by the lack of progress
- formed in 1903 by Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst (WSPU)
- believed the movement had to become more radical and militant
- disrupted political meetings and harassed ministers
- Daily Mail called the new radicals “suffragettes”
11
Q
What was the WSPU and when was it founded and by whom?
A
- Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU)
- formed in 1903
- radical suffragists
- founded by Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst
12
Q
What was ‘direct action’ and when did it begin?
A
- direct, actual protests that involved physical action
- began in 1908
- Edith New made speeches in Downing Street and chained herself to railings
- threw stones at 10 Downing Street
- Mrs Pankhurst and her daughter arrested in October 1908 for inciting a crowd to ‘rush’ the House of Commons
13
Q
What were the positive and negative reactions to direct action?
A
+ some were sympathetic
- scared some people
- people were scornful
+ suffragists admires the heroism of suffragettes
+ initially the Suffragists supported the Suffragettes, when they used non-violent methods
- many believed you could not secure a democratic vote with under-democratic methods
- moderate MPs put off by their violent and dangerous actions
- Suffragists and Suffragettes moved further apart
14
Q
What happened in Parliament in 1911?
A
- in 1911 the govt. promised a Conciliation Bill giving women the vote
- Suffragettes suspended military action
- Suffragists held 30 meetings per day
- Bill got a majority of 167, a new record
- Asquith suddenly dropped the Bill and introduced a new one which gave the vote to all men and tacked on a clause about women being able to vote in future, potentially
15
Q
What was the Suffragist response to the 1911 setback?
A
- led a deputation to see the PM in order to persuade him to change his mind
- decided to support the Labour Party, as they were committed to female suffrage
- peaceful pilgrimage from Carlisle to London involving thousands of suffragists
- offered free membership to working women
16
Q
How did the Suffragettes respond to the 1911 setback?
A
- escalated their campaign of violence (against property, not people)
- smashed windows, burned post boxes, bombed churches, damaged cricket pitches and golf courses, slashed valuable paintings
- more suffragettes being sent to prison
- suffragettes went on hunger strike in prison
- govt. forcefully fed them, which was degrading and won the suffragettes a lot of public sympathy
- suffragettes made a lot of posters based around force feeding
- in 1913 the govt. introduced an act which let hunger strikers leave prison to recover then return to serve their sentence (often called The Cat and Mouse Act)
- June 1913, the death of Emily Davidson
