Poverty And Pauperism Flashcards
1798 Malthus
“An Essay on the Principle of the Population”
As population grows, food production grows. Malthusian Crisis- Irish famine of 1848
The practice of utilitarianism
What year did the Select Committee find that Poor Law officials were corrupt?
1817
Select Committee reports what in 1824…
Speenhamland system made people lazy and farmers weren’t paying sufficient wages
What was the Speenhamland System?
Deducting wages from workers rather than supporting those without work
What was the cost of poor relief in 1830?
£7 million a year
1834
Poor Law Amendment Act
Stopped outdoor relief, less eligibility, people can’t take advantage of the system
Andover Scandal
1845
Connor McDougal
Starvation, forced them to crush bones with a 28 pound solid iron “rammer”
Publicised by New Poor Law Act critics- John Walter wrote in “The Times”
Name 2 Friendly Societies
Manchester unity of Odd Fellows
Ancient Order of Foresters
How did literature help the poor?
Charles Dickens-
Experienced poverty first hand
“Oliver Twist”, themes of poverty, injustice and punishment
Dickens was a critic of the New Poor Law
What book did Samuel Smiles write?
“Self-help”
1859
Which organisation was set up in 1869?
The charity organisation
What did the Charity Organisation do?
Gave aid to those who needed it most
Education Act
1870
1875
Compulsory Public Health Act
When was the Speenhamland system first introduced?
1795, to some southern counties, set the rate of outdoor relief to the price of a loaf of bread
What did Joseph Townsend release in 1786?
“Dissertation on the Poor Laws” - criticises system of subsidies. Rather than helping society, poor relief actively denies the full extent of the lesson real poverty could provide
What was the north/south divide of relief?
Between 1802-03, 10% of those in the north received relief compared to 23% in the south
How much money was spent on poor relief between 1814-1818?
£6.4 million
When was the Poor Employment Act passed and what was it?
1817 - granted public money to employ the poor in public places
What law was passed in 1819?
Act to Amend the Laws for Relief of the Poor
When was the Royal Commission on Poor Relief set up?
1832
What Order was passed in 1836?
General Prohibitory Order passed - forbidding outdoor relief
How many workhouses were built by the end of 1839?
350
When did the Anti-Poor Law movement begin?
1837
When was the Poor Law Commission replaced by the Poor Law Board? Why?
- Made the Board answerable to Parliament and had to provide inspectors to make sure conditions were safe
What Act was passed in 1867?
Metropolitan Poor Law Act. Required separate medical facilities in workhouses
