part three: reform and reformers- protest and change Flashcards
corn laws and anti-slavery
what did this group campaign about?
the price of wheat- the impact on the price of bread
when was Britain at war with France?
1803-1815
what was significant about Britain being at war with France?
they had stopped trading with the French
why did the politicians in government not want to start trading with France again?
they were wealthy landowners- they had made money from the high wheat prices and were reluctant to see their prices fall
when did the government pass the Corn Laws?
1815
what did the Corn Laws provide?
the laws were designed to keep the price of wheat high- if the price fell too low, imports of wheat would be stopped
where were there riots?
from Westminster to Dundee- all through the country
who was the Anti-Corn Law League mainly made up of?
middle-class men who felt the restrictions were unfair to the poor and manufacturing middle class
what were two prominent Leaguers?
Richard Cobden John Bright
what were John Bright and Richard Cobden like?
excellent orators- they toured the country, giving speeches and spreading support for the League
what forms of propaganda did the men create?
pamphlets
published articles in sympathetic newspapers
what did the men use in terms of new technology?
they used the railway to travel faster
they spread their pamphlets through the penny post (a cheap post that most people could afford)
what did the men use the penny post for?
they used it to send a pamphlet to every eligible voter in the country and easily obtained nationwide support
what were the Anti Corn Law League’s main arguments?
the laws were unfair to the poor because they increased the price of a basic food
cheap wheat could help to lower living costs
people could spend more money on other foods, such as meat, which would help farmers
people could also spend more money on industrial goods, thus benefiting the manufacturers
countries that could export their wheat to Britain would have the money to invest in industry
the relationship built up trade with these countries could ensure peace in Europe in the coming years
when were the men elected as MP’s?
in 1841 and 1843
who did the men have the support of?
the Prime Minister- Robert Peel
what was Peel a supporter of?
free trade and saw the benefits of repealing the Corn Laws
what was Peel also the leader of?
the Conservative Party- members were mostly wealthy landowners
when was the potato failure in Ireland?
early 1840’s
what was the potato failure in Ireland caused by?
the crop disease blight which had spread across Europe
why was the crop failure a problem for the poor in Ireland?
they relied heavily on potatoes and bread for their diet
where were there also crop failures?
in England and Scotland and reports of suffering started to reach London
why was England suffering?
there was a bad harvest, the lack of work for tenant farmers and the high price of bread
what year did Peel repeal the Corn Laws?
1846
what affect did repealing the Corn Laws have?
British farmers hadn’t realised that the low price of wheat after the end of the war with France was not because of foreign impacts but because of wheat over-production in Britain during the war years
what did the increase in population and the return to normal prices of wheat mean?
farmers and landowners did not suffer
the poor were able to afford wheat and the price of barely, oats and meat increased-helped the farmers who had been affected
when did Britain’s involvement in the slave trade stop?
in the 19th century
how many slaves died on each crossing?
1/3 of the passengers
what was a slaves average life expectancy?
27
who created the Anti-Slavery Society?
William Wilberforce
what did the Anti-Slavery Society do?
held public meetings to educate people
produced pamphlets and posters
society members wore a badge to display their membership
by 1792 how much of Manchester’s population had signed the petition?
1/4
who was William Wilberforce?
MP for Hull
motivated by his Christian faith
spoke in Parliament and pushed several bills through to abolish slavery
held meetings to convince other members of society to end slavery
what did Wilberforce do in 1797?
presented a petition to Parliament- had more signatures than the Chartist petition
what did Wilberforce do in 1807?
secured the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807- made it illegal to buy and sell enslaved people in the British Empire- people were allowed to keep the enslaved people they already owned
who was Olaudah Equiano?
had been enslaved to a ship-master and had travelled the world- he became educated and converted to Christianity
bought his freedom and travelled more before settling in England
what book did Olaudah Equiano write?
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
what was Equiano’s autobiography used for?
used by the abolition movement to win people’s support- made people aware of the horrors of slavery
who was Thomas Clarkson?
collected information about slavery and the conditions on board slave ships
considered slavery evil and saw it as his job to do something about it
what did Thomas Clarkson produce?
drawings of the conditions on slave ships and pamphlets to show how horrible the conditions were for enslaved people
who was Granville Sharp?
in the late 1700’s, he supported cases of black enslaved people in Britain who wanted to be free
what was Granville Sharp motivated by?
his studies and interests in politics and law
what was the case of Johnathon Strong?
he was recaptured by his former slavemaster and sent back to the Caribbean- Sharp won his case for freedom
what did Sharp bring to public attention?
the case of the slave ship Zong- 133 enslaved people were reportedly thrown overboard
when was slavery in Britain abolished?
in 1807- though those who were already owned did not have to be freed
when did parliament ban slave ownership?
1833
what did the government do in 1833?
paid former slave owners £20 million for their loss of property
how much did the Bishop of Exeter receive?
over £12,000 for the loss of 665 enslaved people
what was the “white’s man’s burden”?
the view that black people were inferior and Britain had a responsibility to keep enslaved black people locked up
what did Hannah More do?
she wrote poems for the abolition movement
how many anti-slavery societies were run by women?
73
when did the British take control of Jamaica?
in 1655
what did the Maroons do?
they escaped from the plantations they were forced to work at and went to live in the mountains
what happened in St Dominique?
two years after the French revolution, the enslaved people rebelled
they killed the white plantation owners and burnt the sugar crops
who was Toussaint L’Ouverture?
he led fellow enslaved people to victory and slavery was abolished on the island in 1804
the island was declared as independent and given the new name Haiti
what was bad about the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833?
only instantly freed enslaved people under the age of 6
why was the success of the abolition movement good in the long term?
a positive change for black people globally as Britain increased the pressure on other nations to abolish slavery
