Part 3 : Protest and Change Flashcards
1
Q
What was one of the reform movements of the nineteenth century?
A
the anti-corn law league
2
Q
When were the corn laws introduced?
A
1815
3
Q
Why had the corn laws been introduced?
A
- during war with France, Britain banned cheap French wheat used to make flour for bread
- without any competition, British farmers got a high price for the wheat they grew
- when the war ended, many politicians (who were also wealthy landowners) wanted to keep big profits from high wheat prices
4
Q
The corn laws of 1815 kept the price of wheat….
A
high, by banning cheap non-British wheat which made farmers and landowners happy.
5
Q
What happened as the price of bread increased as a result of the Corn Laws?
A
- there were riots across the country
- the working people were not happy
6
Q
As a result of the upheaval the consequences of the corn laws had on the working people…
A
the Anti-Corn law league was created
7
Q
Who was the Anti-Corn Law League made up of?
A
Mostly middle-class men who felt the price controls on wheat were unfair to the poor
8
Q
Who were the two prominent members of the Anti-corn Law League?
A
- Richard Cobden
- John Bright
9
Q
Richard Cobden
A
- prominent member of the anti-corn law league
- became an MP in 1841
10
Q
John Bright
A
- a prominent member of the anti-corn law league
- became an MP in 1843
11
Q
What were the reasons people opposed the corn laws?
A
- they were unfair to the poor as the price of basic food, bread, was far too high
- cheap wheat could lower living costs
- people would have more money to spend on other goods such as meat
- people could buy industrial goods
- improved trade with other countries would help to secure peace
12
Q
Tactics used by the prominent members Richard Cobden and John Bright to spread the word of the anti-corn law league
A
- excellent orators
- gave speeches
- created pamphlets
- published newspaper articles
- used the railways to travel faster
- sent pamphlets through the penny pst to reach every eligible voter
13
Q
Who in power supported the anti-corn law league?
A
- the new PM : Robert Peel
- saw the benefit of free trade and of not controlling imports
14
Q
Why could Peel not openly support the anti-corn law league and what did he do?
A
- he was the leader of the Conservative Party
- members were mostly wealthy landowners who wanted to keep prices high
- peel would move slowly to persuade the government
15
Q
What was the Irish Famine?
A
- the Irish heavily relied on bread and potatoes for their diet
- by the early 1840s the potato harvest failed
- by 1846, Ireland was facing a terrible famine and there was no spare wheat in Britain to send to the millions that were staving
16
Q
What was happening at the same time as the Irish famine?
A
- a crop failure in Scotland
- threatening the same crisis as the Irish Famine
17
Q
What action did Peel have to take as a result of the Irish Famine and the crop failure in England and Scotland?
A
- he would need to repeal the corn laws
- to allow foreign wheat to be used to feed the people
18
Q
When did Robert Peel repeal the Corn Laws?
A
1846
19
Q
What happened when Robert Peel repealed the corn laws?
A
- faced a lot of opposition from his party
- was forced to resign
20
Q
Consequences of repealing the corn laws
A
- Robert Peel forced to resign
- British farmers and landowners actually did well after repeal
- population increased just as the price of wheat lowered
- gave people more money to spend on barley, oats and meat
21
Q
Since the 1500s, what had Britain been making vast sums of money from?
A
The slave trade
22
Q
What were the conditions like on slave ships and plantations?
A
- terrible
- 1/3 slaves died on the ships
- if they did survive, their life expectancy was only 27
23
Q
Why did many people in parliament support slavery?
A
- they made money from the plantations
24
Q
What started happening in the 18th century regarding slave trade?
A
People started to accept that it was wrong
25
Why did many people in the eighteenth century begin to accept that slavery was wrong?
- the comparison to working conditions in factories for so-called ‘white slaves’
- the religious belief that slavery was not Christian
26
Who were key figures from the eighteenth century who held the views that slavery was wrong and what society did they form?
- William Wilberforce
- Thomas Clarkson
- Granville Sharp
- Olaudah Equiano
- THE ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY
27
What did William Wilberforce do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he spoke for abolition in parliament and presented a petition in 1797
28
What did Thomas Clarkson do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he collected information and produced drawings and pamphlets about conditions on board slave ships
29
What did Granville Sharp do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he argued in Law Courts to free slaves and clarify the law about slave ownership
30
What did Olaudah Equiano do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he was a former slave who wrote a widely-read book about his life
31
Other examples of key figures associated with the abolition of slavery
- Hannah More - wrote poems for the movement
- Josiah Wedgewood - made a badge for supporters to wear
32
Other than middle-class white people, what helped bring about the abolition of slavery?
Through slave rebellions
33
The Maroon Slaves slave rebellion
- escaped from their plantation in Jamaica in 1655
- lived in the mountains and celebrated their native African culture
34
Slaves of St Dominique slave rebellion
- inspired by the French Revolution, the slaves of St Dominique rebelled, killing the white plantation owners and burning sugar crops
- were victorious
- slavery abolished on the island in 1804
35
What message did the slave rebellions send?
- the slaves were no longer wiling to accept slavery
- would use any means necessary to gain freedom
36
Comparison of the aims of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - to end the slave trade and ownership of slaves
- ACLL - to repeal the corn laws that had been introduced in 1815
37
Comparison of the motivation of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - religious (the conviction that slavery was not Christian) and moral
- ACLL - economic (wanted free trade) and social (people were starving)
38
Comparison of the key dates of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - 1807 (abolished slave trade) and 1833 (abolition of slavery act and slave ownership banned)
- ACLL - 1815 (corn laws introduced) and 1846 (famine in ireland) and 1846 (repeal of the corn laws)
39
Comparison of the supporters of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - middle class, William Wilberforce (MP), factory workers fighting for better conditions
- ACLL - the middle class, Robert Peel (PM)
- SIMILARITIES : the middle class
40
Comparison of the methods of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - petitions, speeches in parliament, arguing for changes in the law, pamphlets, public meetings, books describing the slave experience, poetry
- ACLL - gave speeches, created pamphlets, published newspaper articles, used the railway to travel faster, sent pamphlets through the penny post to reach every voter
- SIMILARITIES : speeches, pamphlets, public meetings
41
Comparison of the reaction to the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - many MPs didn’t support the abolition of the slavery as they were part of landowning class who made money from slavery
- ACLL - many MPs didn’t support the repeal of the corn laws as they were landowners who made money from the expensive British wheat
- SIMILARITIES - many MPs didn’t support as they were landowners who made money off it
42
Comparison of the impact of the Abolition movement vs the Anti-Corn Law league
- AM - 1833 Act only instantly freed those under the age of 6 and others not freed for 4 more years ; slaves now forced to compete for paid work and still had to live and work in horrible conditions ; smuggling became widespread and not regulated
- ACLL - Robert Peel resigned as PM ; farmers and landowners did well after the corn laws were repealed ; people had much more income and could buy expensive goods like meat ; the influence of the landowning class challenged
43
When did the Industrial Revolution start?
Around 1750
44
What was the Industrial Revolution?
- saw a movement away from the manufacture of goods at home (the ‘Domestic System’) to the manufacture of goods in factories
45
Factory conditions during the Industrial Revolution
- factories and coal mines were dangerous places
- organised to make a profit with little concern for the safety of the workers
- accidents were common with children losing limbs and sometimes even their lives
46
Ages of the people who worked during the Industrial Revolution
- children as young as 4 worked in the coal mines
- some 6-year-olds worked in factories
47
Working hours during the Industrial Revolution
Very long
48
Reactions to the working conditions of coal mines and factories during the Industrial Revolution
- public were horrified when they heard about the conditions people - especially women and children - worked in
- some also wanted to improve the living conditions of the factory and mine workers
- HOWEVER - most politicians didn’t support not agreeing with the idea of social and political reform
49
Why did most politicians not agree with social and political reform?
- due to laissez-faire politics
50
Who continued to press for social and political reforms to improve the lives of the working class?
- some key individuals were philanthropists
51
Key individuals involved in social and political reforms
- Michael Sadler (MP)
- Lord Shaftesbury
- Robert Owen
- Edwin Chadwick
- Elizabeth Fry
- Josephine Butler
52
Michael Sadler (MP) - type of reform
Factory reform
53
Michael Sadler (MP) - motivation
- terrible conditions children worked in
- dangers of the machines
- poor treatment of children by the factory owner
- weight of coal being lifted by women and children
54
Michael Sadler (MP) -actions
- suggested maximum 10-hour day for those under 18 (the 10-hour movement)
55
Lord Shaftesbury - type of reform
Factory and social
56
Lord Shaftesbury - motivation
- improving the lives of children both at work and socially
- Christian faith
57
Lord Shaftesbury - actions
- supporter of the Mines Act 1842
- supported the 10-hour movement
- campaigned for more education for factory children
58
Robert Owen - type of reform
Factory and social
59
Robert Owen - motivation
- mill owner but a socialist
- thought a happy workforce was more important than profit
60
Robert Owen - actions
- supported the 10-hour movement
- introduced an 8-hour day in 1810
- opened a school at his New Lanark Factory in 1816
- social areas for workers to visit during time off
61
Edwin Chadwick - type of reform
Social
62
Edwin Chadwick - motivation
- improving living conditions for those in towns and cities
- improving the health of the population
63
Edwin Chadwick - actions
- wrote a report which linked sanitation with epidemics such as cholera
- reported on the causes of poverty
64
Elizabeth Fry - type of reform
Social
65
Elizabeth Fry - motivation
- Christian faith - quaker
- helping the poor
- prison reform
66
Elizabeth Fry - actions
- opened a school and a chapel in Newgate Prison
- had prison reform raised in parliament
- conditions for women on transportation ships were improved
67
Josephine Butler - type of reform
Social
68
Josephine Butler - motivation
- family were involved in social reform and abolition
- Christian faith - evangelical
- repealing the 1869 Contagious Disease Act
69
Josephine Butler - actions
- campaigned to protect women arrested for being prostitutes
- campaigned for the age of consent to rise from 13 to 16
- contagious disease act repealed 1883
70
What did the Factory Act of 1833 state?
- applied to all textile mills except silk
- no children under 9 could work in factories
- children aged 9-13 could work up to 48 hours a week and no more than 9 hours a day
- children under 13 had to attend school for two hours a day
- 4 inspectors were appointed to check the act was enforced
71
What did the Mines Act of 1842 state?
- women and children under 10 were not to work underground
- no child under the age of 15 could be in charge of winding machines
72
What was the impact of reforms?
- many workers felt that the government’s reform acts had not gone far enough
- poor people were still at a disadvantage and this only made worse by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 which sent people to the workhouse if they could not afford to care for their families
- they felt something had to change so they started to group together in trade unions
