Poverty And Pauperism Flashcards
how did the poor relief system worsen from 1601 to 1782
Elizabethan Poor Law gave poor relief to the deserving poor but this was removed later on and replaced with workhouses
define poor relief
assistance given by government
what were the causes of bad conditions for agricultural workers in 1794
-bad harvests - wheat in short supply = famine
-bread prices rose = famine
-population rising
-enclosure - labourers lost the right to common land
-grain couldn’t be imported due to French War
-Napoleonic War caused all these problems
why did the Berkshire magistrates introduce the allowance system
-fear of revolution
-allowed landowners to drop wages
what was the name of the allowence system set up by the Berkshire magistrates
the Speenhamland system
why were allowance scales not used in North England
-North more urban
-less seasonal work in North
-industrial = high wages
-factory system developing
what were the criticisms of the Speenhamland System
-Malthus said it increased population without increasing food and encouraged younger marriages
-contemporaries believed it did more harm than good
what problems did the Poor Laws before 1601 have
-population rise - 13.9m by 1831
-changes in agricultural economy - harvest fails, food shortages
-efficacy of Parish based systems limited
-Napoleonic Wars
-Swing riots
-industrialisation reduced workers
define absolute poverty
lack of an income to provide for even the basic human needs
define relative poverty
people who are poor but still have enough to survive
define deserving poor
people who become poor through no fault of their own and are still honest and hardworking
how were the government’s decisions for poor relief inconsistent
the amount of money spent is inconsistent as the years go on
what happened to poor relief after 1817
it decreased
why did poor relief decrease after 1817
-post Napoleonic Wars
-mass unemployment
-corn laws
-poor factory and living conditions
-abolition of slavery
how much did poor relief expenditure increase by
2%
how much money was spent on poor relief from 1815-1833
£5.7 million
why did poo relief decline during the 1820s
improved economic situation
why did the farmers take advantage of the allowance system
-humiliating to receive income from the Parish Charity
-could refuse increase in wages
what were some people’s views of poverty after the 18th century
-believed there would always be poverty and we had to accept that
-poverty was due to weakness of character
-resigned pity or disgust
-distinction of deserving and undeserving poor
why was it humiliating to receive charity for workers
laissez-faire policies
what attitude emerged after the 18th century
cynical attitude towards the poor
why did people feel this about the poor
-rapid developments of society due to industrialisation
-fear that rich peoples’ fortune would disappear
-people looked for reasons to separate themselves from the poor
what could the deserving poor have
could find a room in a poor house
what did the undeserving poor have to do and what were they encouraged to get
-look after themselves
-a job
