Post War Distress and Discontent 1812-1822

Question 1

Effects of the war

Answer 1

• price of corn fell
• protective tariffs
• loss of govt orders
• 1/2 blast furnaces shut
• discharged navy force
• unemployment and lower wages
  EXAMPLE = MARCH OF THE BLANKETEERS

Question 2

Agricultural and Industrial causes

Answer 2

-deskilling and new machinery
-Speenhamland system
- population increase
-enclosure
-poor living and working conditions
-urbanization
-use of Truck Shops
EXAMPLE = LITTLEPORT AND ELY RIOTS, SPA FIELD RIOTS

Question 3

effects of war however…

Answer 3

• the corn laws did bring some stabilisation to the prices of corn

Question 4

industrial and agricultural change however…

Answer 4

• the Speenhamland System had good intentions
• urban working conditions were bad but conditions in rural areas were not much better
• agricultural development meant that the growing population was sustainable as there was no mass starvation
• enclosure effect was probably overstated

Question 5

Government policies causes

Answer 5

-sometimes made a bad situation worse
-not concerned with causes of distress
-Combination Acts 1799-1800
-abolition of income tax
-Corn Laws
-use of spies, informers, and agent provocateurs
-maintain law and order - suspension of the Habaes Corpus and the Six Acts
EXAMPLE = PETERLOO MASSACRE

Question 6

government policies however…

Answer 6

• Liverpool’s govt wanted to maintain income tax however he was outvoted in the HOC
• genuine fear for a revolution (acting accordingly?)
• gov faced problems which were unprecedented in number, scope & complexity
• gov had few effective law enforcement tools
• when the economy allowed, Liverpool’s gov introduced reforms
• gov acted in moderation with restraint

Question 7

Lack of the vote and radical press causes

Answer 7

-lack of vote removed peaceful means of protest
-William Cobbett’s ‘two penny trash’
-radical press helped people relate economic distress to misgov and the need for political reform
EXAMPLE = SHOTS / STONE AT PRINCE REGENT

Question 8

lack of vote/radical press however…

Answer 8

• no coherent group or party as they each had different interests
• typically lower class with small volumes of influence