Part Three : Reform and reformers Flashcards
1
Q
In the nineteenth century, why did the working class grow?
A
- due to the Industrial Revolution
2
Q
What did the working class demand in the nineteenth century?
A
Representation
3
Q
In the nineteenth century, who controlled the country?
A
The king and major landowners
4
Q
Who had no political representation in the nineteenth century?
A
The workers in new towns and cities
5
Q
Rotten boroughs…
A
Had no one living there but still sent two MPs into parliament
6
Q
Who were pocket boroughs controlled by in the nineteenth century ?
A
Rich individuals
7
Q
What was the problem with the qualification that allowed people the right to vote in Britain in the nineteenth century ?
A
- there was no standard property qualification that gave someone the right to vote
- in some places, people could vote if they had a fireplace and a door with a lock but in others people had to own a house
8
Q
Electoral system in potwalloper boroughs
A
People could vote if they had a fireplace and a door with a lock
9
Q
Who did not have the vote in the nineteenth century?
A
Women
10
Q
In the nineteenth century, no secret…
A
ballot meant that voters could be bribed or intimidated as everyone knew who they were voting for
11
Q
What event happened as a result with the problems with the electoral system in the nineteenth century?
A
The Peterloo Massacre
12
Q
When was the Peterloo Massacre?
A
1819
13
Q
What was the Peterloo Massacre?
A
- 1819 - when 60,000 workers in Manchester went to St Peter’s Field to hear Henry Hunt speak
14
Q
What was Hunt calling for?
A
a reform to parliament
15
Q
How did the local magistrate react to the peterloo massacre?
A
- panicked when they saw the crowd
- government were worried about large crowds after the French Revolution
- called the local troops
16
Q
What happened within 10 minutes of the peterloo massacre?
A
- over 600 people had been injured
- 15 killed
17
Q
What were the consequences of the peterloo massacre?
A
- over 600 people had been injured
- 15 killed
- hunt arrested and imprisoned
- AFTER PETERLOO, the Six Acts were introduced which stated that any meeting of more than 50 people for radical reform was an act of treason
18
Q
What did the Six Acts state?
A
- stated that any meeting of more than 50 people for radical reform was an act of treason
19
Q
What was the process of improving the electoral system called?
A
Extending the franchise
20
Q
After the peterloo massacre, the working and middle classes still needed change….
A
so they decided that instead of protesting, they would try to persuade the government to change things and extend the franchise.
21
Q
Describe one way in which some important steps were taken in trying to persuade the government to extend the franchise in the nineteenth century.
A
- Thomas Attwood from Birmingham formed the Birmingham Political Union of the Lower and Middle Classes of People in 1829
22
Q
What did Thomas Attwood and his Birmingham Political Union of the Lower and Middle Classes of People do in 1829?
A
- along with 8,000 others - sent a petition which demanded reform
23
Q
What did Attwood and the 8,000 others want in their petition?
A
- shorter parliaments
- the end of property qualifications
- the vote for all men who contributed taxes
24
Q
What would shorter parliaments mean?
A
Would make it harder to buy votes.
25
What was Attwood’s union renamed and what did they vow to do?
- the Birmingham Political Union (BPU)
- vowed to cooperate with the law
26
What did the BPU influence?
- BPU was copied across the country
27
When Attwood called for people not to pay their taxes…
the king and government were worried
28
What happened in the election and to the monarch in 1830 which promoted change to the electoral system?
- Tory party was replaced by the Whig party led by Earl Grey
- George III died and was succeeded by William IV
- both the Whigs and William IV were more progressive and open to reform
29
What did Earl Grey, leader of the Whig party, try to do?
- tried three times to pass laws for a reform act but the House of Lords would not pass it
30
Why would the House of Lords not pass laws for a reform act?
They did not want ordinary people to have more power by being represented in parliament.
31
What happened on Earl Grey’s third attempt to pass a reform act?
- Earl Grey requested that the king appoint more lords who were Whigs or sympathetic to reform
- scared they would lose power and influence, the Tory lords passed the Great Reform Act in 1832
32
When was the Great Reform Act passed?
1832
33
What were the main points of the Great Reform Act of 1832?
- 56 very small locations lose the right to elect their own MPs
- 30 other smaller towns lose one MP
- London and other large towns and cities are given more MPs
- people who earn over £150 per year can vote
- voters increase from 435,000 to 642,000
34
As a result of the Great Reform Act of 1832, 56 very small locations…
lose the right to elect their own MPs
35
As a result of the Great Reform Act of 1832, 30 other smaller towns…
lose one MP
36
As a result of the Great Reform Act of 1832, London and other large towns…
are given more MPs
37
As a result of the Great Reform Act of 1832, people who earn over…
£150 per year can vote
38
As a result of the Great Reform Act of 1832, voters increase from….
435,000 to 642,000
39
How great was the Great Reform Act of 1832 for the middle class?
- merchants and industrialists gained more representation
- rotten boroughs were removed and new towns and cities got an MP
40
How great was the Great Reform Act of 1832 for the working class?
- most working-class people didn’t earn enough to vote
- no secret ballot meant that those who could vote had to vote for their factory owner/landowner
41
Ultimately, what did the Great Reform Act of 1832 do?
- reduce the power of the king and landowners
- proved that change was possible
42
Even after the Great Reform Act, the working-class men did not own property worth…
at least £10, so they did not get the vote.
43
Through the anger of the working-class men….
the Chartist movement was born.
44
What were the three categories of causes for Chartism?
- social
- economic
- political
45
Social causes for Chartism
- most workers in the new towns and cities lived in poor conditions
- bad harvests in the 1830s meant that many farmworkers couldn’t feed their families
46
Economic causes of Chartism
- skilled workers no longer needed because of the new machines in factories
- the poor law of 1834 sent people with financial problems to the workhouse
47
What did the Poor Law of 1834 do to the working-class?
sent people with financial problems to the work-house
48
Political causes of Chartism
- the Great Reform Act of 1832 did not give the working class the vote
- there was still no secret ballot
49
When and how was the Chartist movement born?
- 1836
- when William Lovett from the London Working Men’s Association started a campaign with the support of Thomas Attwood and the BPU
50
What did the Chartists want?
For the MPs to be paid, because then the working class could become MPs and represent working people in parliament
51
The two leaders driving force for the Chartist movement
- William Lovett (moral force)
- Fergus O’Connor (physical force)
52
What were the moral actions taken by William Lovett to promote the Chartist movement?
- sent first petition to parliament in 1839 which was REJECTED
- sent second petition to parliament in 1842 which was REJECTED
- encouraged temperance among members to show they were disciplined and worthy of the vote
- edited a newspaper, ‘The Chartist’
53
What were the physical actions taken by Fergus O’Connor to promote the Chartist movement?
- called for violence after the rejection of the 1842 petition
- encouraged worker to damage machinery
- called for a general strike and a republic
- sent a THIRD petition to parliament in 1848 after return of economic and agricultural depression in 1847 - REJECTED
- established the more radical newspaper - ‘Northern Star’
54
What was the plug plot?
- Fergus O’Connor encouraging workers to damage machinery
55
The government was worried about the actions of the Chartists so it…
- rejected petitions
- put up posters asking people not to attend Chartist meetings
- arrested Chartists regularly
- transported Chartists to countries like Australia
56
When was the Newport Rising?
1839
57
Describe the Newport Rising of 1839.
- unemployment was higher than the national average
- many people were starving
- protestors planned to release their leader from prison
- soldiers guarding the prison opened fire and 22 men were killed
58
Describe what happened when Fergus O’Connor sent the 3rd petition to parliament in 1848 after the economic and agricultural depression in 1947.
- O’Connor and fewer than 50,000 supporters met on Kensington Common in London on 10th April 1848
- The authorities expected more, so had prepared troops and thousands of police to stop O’Connor’s supporters entering the city
- O’Connor had to take the petition into London himself
59
How many signatures did O’Connor’s 3rd petition have?
- said to have 5 million signatures
- only had 2 million and many names were forged
- including Queen Victoria’s name
- government saw the whole thing as a farce
60
Why was Chartism a failure in the short term?
- strong parliamentary opposition
- standard of living started to increase during 1850s
- alternative working class movements grew
- the divided leadership of Lovett and O’Connor
- lacked one clear message
61
How were the campaigns for electoral reform a success in the long term?
- five of the chartists’ six aims were achieved by 1928
62
What were the Chartists’ aims?
- votes for all men
- equal-sized constituencies
- secret ballot
- wages for MPs
- no property qualifications to be able to vote
- an election every year
63
When was the Chartists’ aim of votes for all men achieved?
1918
64
When was the Chartists’ aim of equal-sized constituencies achieved?
1884
65
When was the Chartists’ aim of the secret ballot achieved?
1872
66
When was the Chartists’ aim of Wages for MPs achieved?
1911
67
When was the Chartists’ aim of no property qualifications to be able to vote achieved?
1918 (men)
68
When was the Chartists’ aim of an election every year achieved?
Never
69
What was one of the reform movements of the nineteenth century?
the anti-corn law league
70
When were the corn laws introduced?
1815
71
Why had the corn laws been introduced?
- 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
72
The corn laws of 1815 kept the price of wheat….
high, by banning cheap non-British wheat which made farmers and landowners happy.
73
What happened as the price of bread increased as a result of the Corn Laws?
- there were riots across the country
- the working people were not happy
74
As a result of the upheaval the consequences of the corn laws had on the working people…
the Anti-Corn law league was created
75
Who was the Anti-Corn Law League made up of?
Mostly middle-class men who felt the price controls on wheat were unfair to the poor
76
Who were the two prominent members of the Anti-corn Law League?
- Richard Cobden
- John Bright
77
Richard Cobden
- prominent member of the anti-corn law league
- became an MP in 1841
78
John Bright
- a prominent member of the anti-corn law league
- became an MP in 1843
79
What were the reasons people opposed the corn laws?
- 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
80
Tactics used by the prominent members Richard Cobden and John Bright to spread the word of the anti-corn law league
- 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
81
Who in power supported the anti-corn law league?
- the new PM : Robert Peel
- saw the benefit of free trade and of not controlling imports
82
Why could Peel not openly support the anti-corn law league and what did he do?
- 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
83
What was the Irish Famine?
- 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
84
What was happening at the same time as the Irish famine?
- a crop failure in Scotland
- threatening the same crisis as the Irish Famine
85
What action did Peel have to take as a result of the Irish Famine and the crop failure in England and Scotland?
- he would need to repeal the corn laws
- to allow foreign wheat to be used to feed the people
86
When did Robert Peel repeal the Corn Laws?
1846
87
What happened when Robert Peel repealed the corn laws?
- faced a lot of opposition from his party
- was forced to resign
88
Consequences of repealing the corn laws
- 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
89
Since the 1500s, what had Britain been making vast sums of money from?
The slave trade
90
What were the conditions like on slave ships and plantations?
- terrible
- 1/3 slaves died on the ships
- if they did survive, their life expectancy was only 27
91
Why did many people in parliament support slavery?
- they made money from the plantations
92
What started happening in the 18th century regarding slave trade?
People started to accept that it was wrong
93
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
94
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
95
What did William Wilberforce do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he spoke for abolition in parliament and presented a petition in 1797
96
What did Thomas Clarkson do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he collected information and produced drawings and pamphlets about conditions on board slave ships
97
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
98
What did Olaudah Equiano do regarding the abolition of slavery?
- he was a former slave who wrote a widely-read book about his life
99
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
100
Other than middle-class white people, what helped bring about the abolition of slavery?
Through slave rebellions
101
The Maroon Slaves slave rebellion
- escaped from their plantation in Jamaica in 1655
- lived in the mountains and celebrated their native African culture
102
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
103
What message did the slave rebellions send?
- the slaves were no longer wiling to accept slavery
- would use any means necessary to gain freedom
104
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
105
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)
106
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)
107
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
108
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
109
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
110
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
111
When did the Industrial Revolution start?
Around 1750
112
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
113
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
114
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
115
Working hours during the Industrial Revolution
Very long
116
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
117
Why did most politicians not agree with social and political reform?
- due to laissez-faire politics
118
Who continued to press for social and political reforms to improve the lives of the working class?
- some key individuals were philanthropists
119
Key individuals involved in social and political reforms
- Michael Sadler (MP)
- Lord Shaftesbury
- Robert Owen
- Edwin Chadwick
- Elizabeth Fry
- Josephine Butler
120
Michael Sadler (MP) - type of reform
Factory reform
121
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
122
Michael Sadler (MP) -actions
- suggested maximum 10-hour day for those under 18 (the 10-hour movement)
123
Lord Shaftesbury - type of reform
Factory and social
124
Lord Shaftesbury - motivation
- improving the lives of children both at work and socially
- Christian faith
125
Lord Shaftesbury - actions
- supporter of the Mines Act 1842
- supported the 10-hour movement
- campaigned for more education for factory children
126
Robert Owen - type of reform
Factory and social
127
Robert Owen - motivation
- mill owner but a socialist
- thought a happy workforce was more important than profit
128
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
129
Edwin Chadwick - type of reform
Social
130
Edwin Chadwick - motivation
- improving living conditions for those in towns and cities
- improving the health of the population
131
Edwin Chadwick - actions
- wrote a report which linked sanitation with epidemics such as cholera
- reported on the causes of poverty
132
Elizabeth Fry - type of reform
Social
133
Elizabeth Fry - motivation
- Christian faith - quaker
- helping the poor
- prison reform
134
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
135
Josephine Butler - type of reform
Social
136
Josephine Butler - motivation
- family were involved in social reform and abolition
- Christian faith - evangelical
- repealing the 1869 Contagious Disease Act
137
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
138
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
139
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
140
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
141
What did workers join in medieval times that controlled wages and prices?
- Workers’ Guilds
- businesses were small and conditions were good
142
Representation of workers during the Industrial Revolution
- wage competition was a big problem because there were so many workers
- if someone complained about their wages, they would be sacked and replaced
- new technology meant that skilled workers were no longer needed
143
Which groups opposed the new technology and damaged machines?
- the Luddites
- Swing Rioters
144
What did the 1825 Combination Act state?
- allowed workers in factories to come together in trade unions to negotiate wages and conditions but nothing else
- could not use intimidation or picket
145
When was the Combination Act?
1825
146
Describe the case study of the Tolpuddle Martyrs
- six farmers led by George Loveless in Tolpuddle, Dorset in February 1834
- they swore an illegal oath to keep their trade union a secret and they were arrested and transported to Australia to endure hard labour
147
What was one of the earliest trade unions?
- the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union
- GNCTU
148
When and who set up the GNCTU?
- 1833
- Robert Owen (important figure for factory and social reform)
149
What was Robert Owen’s aim when creating the GNCTU?
To bring all unions together under one organisation
150
Prosper of the GNCTU
- very soon, it had half a million members
- HOWEVER struggled due to conflict between different groups of workers
151
What does the case study of the Tolpuddle Martyrs show?
The difficulties of early trade unions - word spread about the way they had been treated
152
Why did Owen call a meeting of the GNCTU and what was discussed?
- 10,000 attended
- the Tolpuddle Martyrs
153
Who held a demonstration in Copenhagen Field and what was it for?
- many supporters including Robert Owen and William Cobbett
- supporters gathered petitions and demanded the Tolpuddle Martyrs be returned to England
- 14th March 1836 - the six men were given a full pardon and the trade unions had won
154
When did New Model Unions start?
In 1851 with the creation of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) and others followed with carpenters (1860) and tailors (1866)
155
Why were unions such as the ASE, the carpenters and the tailors seen as ‘new model’?
- they were highly skilled men
- they could afford to pay subscriptions to ensure they received sick pay and other benefits
- they did not want to destroy the structure they worked in
- they negotiated rather than going on strike
156
What did this ‘new model’ help do?
- helped trade unions gain the support of the government
- by 1870s, trade unions had legal status and members could picket for their rights
157
Although the New Model Unions had been successful….
they had only benefitted the more affluent, skilled workers
158
What action did the unskilled working class take?
- New Unionism, which was more militant than the New Model Unions
159
What were the two successful cases of New Unionism in the 1880s?
- the matchgirls’ strike
- the dockers’ strike
160
Describe the Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888.
- women and girls who made matches went on strike with the help of a journalist, Annie Besant, who published ‘White slaves of London’, calling for a boycott of matches made at Bryant & May
- many workers supported the strikers
- in Bryant & May factory in London
161
When was the Matchgirls’ Strike?
1888
162
Why did Annie Besant and the matchgirls strike?
- conditions in the factory were poor
- many of the women became ill, often from poisoning by the chemicals in the matches, which caused ‘Phossy Jaw’
- they were paid poor wages
- frequently fined
163
Describe the Dockers’ Strike of 1889.
- dockers, led by Ben Tillet, went on strike and marched through London carrying fish heads and rotten vegetables to show what their families lived on
- picketed the gates of the London docks
- in London
164
When was the Dockers’ Strike?
1889
165
Why did Ben Tillet and the dockers strike?
- they wanted a pay increase from five pence to six pence an hour and more for overtime
- they also wanted a guaranteed 4 hours’ work a day
