power and the people c1170-present day Flashcards
what was the medieval society built on?
feudal system:
king was at the top - gave barons land in return for money and men to fight in wars
then barons - give some of their land to knights if they promised to fight when needed
then knights - give land to peasants in return for food
then peasants
what happened with king john and his disagreement with the pope?
christian religion was an important part of medieval life
john had a disagreement with the pope as john didn’t support the appointment of stephen langton as archbishop of canterbury - due to that fact that stephen would have more respect for the pope then him due the archbishop is a powerful role
what was the consequence of king john and the pope’s disagreement?
pope banned church services in england
frightened people as they believed without regular attendance at mass they would go to hell
barons were worried that this fractious relationship would lead to an invasion of a foreign king
why did taxes result in poor relations leading to the magna carta?
high taxes - scutage
king john charged this to help him fight wars in france
barons were angry as john had a poor record in battles - “lack land” “soft sword”
- barons lost their land in france so they lost money
what and where happened on the 15th on june 1215?
the barons leader robert fitzwalter sent an army to occupy london
king john met with the barons at runnymede, near windsor
signing of the magna carta
what were some clauses of the magna carta?
- baron’s heir shall inherit his land on payment of £100 to the king
- no freemen shall be arrested or imprisoned without a proper trial and according to the law of the land
- english church shall be free to make its own appointments
- all merchants shall have safety in staying and travelling in england for buys and selling good free from evil tolls
- 25 barons will be created to monitor king and ensure he commits to magna carta
- no scutage shall be imposed on the barons
63 PROMISES
what were some short term effects if the magna carta?
- settlement of the immediate grievances therefore people in england were no longer finically exploited
- people were no longer scared of being excommunicated
- only impacted the politically powerful peasants
what were some long term effects of the magna carta?
- introduced the idea that the king must follow the rules of the law
- first steps to britian becoming the best know democracy
what happened to make the siege of rochester occur?
in august 1215 the pope came out that the king had been forced to sign the magna carta therefore it was invalid
war was declared - SEIGE OF ROCHESTER
barons had taken control of london, and occupied rochester castle
what occurred in the seige of rochester?
in october 1215 johns men arrived with 5 seige engines (catapults, trebuchets) and bombarded the castle
using the fat of 40 FAT PIGS john covered sticks and set the foundations of the castle on fire
john and his men stormed the castle
what happened in 1216?
french prince louis arrived in england with troops and the barons had called for him and promised him the english throne
prince louis was announced but NOT CROWNED king
king john died in october and the barons decided that they didn’t need a french king so they crowned johns youngest son instead (henry)
magna carta was reissued
problems with king henry:
he was a pious king
close relations with rome creating finically problems as he had increased his payments to pope innocent to help him fight wars in europe
pope convinced henry to remove the royal family of sicily
henry was threatened to be excommunicated by one of the popes
henry gave top jobs in english churches to italian clergy, stopping english men from being promoted
henry also had close ties with the french, barons hated the french so when henry allowed french men into parliament the barons were alarmed and worried england was becoming under foreign rule
henry increased taxes to fund his and simon de montfords campaign to win back last lost in france by his father
what happened in 1258?
the provisions of oxford
simon de montfort led the barons who had called the great council against henry
king agreed to the provisions of oxford stating that:
- foreign members of the royal household would be banished
- castles would be held by englishmen
- each country would have a sheriff and taxes would be decided locally
gave the barons the majority of power
king could not make decisions without approval of council - impacting royal authority
were the barons happy with the provisions of oxford?
some barons were angered by the provisions of oxford, as they felt the reforms would interfere with their local interests
the younger barons also disliked the provisions of oxford, as they had not been elected to the council, therefore losing the influence
the barons were divided
how did henry regain power?
due to the division of the barons henry use this to return to power in rejected provisions of oxford
what was the battle of lewes 1264?
the barons had enough of henry’s rule so they sent for simon de montfort
de montford started the second barons war and they used military strength instead of negotiation
de montford and his men were successful and they captured the king and imprisoned his son
what happened after king henry was captured by de monford, magna carta and the provisions of oxford?
simon de montfort became the most powerful person in england - however not all barons supported him, as he was dictatorial therefore the barons ONCE AGAIN changed who they supported, now favoruing henry
the battle of evesham in 1265 was due to barons putting all their support behind henry and during the battle de monford fell from his horse and he was cut into pieces and sent around england as a warning
what is the long term effect of simon de montfort?
he was influential as he represented the common man’s growth of power
what was the black death?
started in china due to dead bodies being thrown at enemies
the black death spread 5 kn over 5 years
it arrived in england in 1348 (in europe in 1347)
the disease spread due to FLEAS ON RATS boarding ships and arriving in england
people blamed jewish communities and the church/god
what did the black death result in?
the black death effected the peasants most (who made up the work force)
field of crops rotted as there weren’t enough people to bring in the harvests and villages were abandoned
few workers so they demanded high wages
what was the statue of labourers?
local lord and the king became worried that peasant were becoming too powerful so in 1351 the king passed the statue of labourers
-every man’s and women had to receive the same wages as before the plague
70% of people were brought before the justice of peace and accused of breaking the statute of labours
what were the causes of the peasants revolt 1381?
- the new king richard had a bad reputation due to his association with john gaunt is main adviser and englands most hated landowner
- richard was fighting in the 100 years war against the french, to fund this he introduced POLL TAX
- by 1380 people 15+ had to pay 4 groats each year
- priest were preaching about how the church was exploiting the peasants (main people doing this were john ball and john wyclif) = church shouldn’t be charging for pardons and that they shouldn’t have so much property when people are starving
what was the timeline of the peasants revolt?
- after john ball was imprisoned
- on the 30th of may in fobbing:
- the peasants do not pay the poll tax
- the rebels made a man called Wat Tyler their leader
- the rebels freed john ball
- rebels storm rochester castle and destroy tax records by burning down governt buildings
- the king them met with rebels in london and gave them a royal pardon and claims all peasants are free men
- wat tyler refuses to leave until the king agrees to his demands
- however, one of the kings men kill tyler and the revolt is over and the peasants reclaim their alliance with the king
- revolt is over
what were some short term effects of the peasants revolt?
-peasants had forced the king into agreeing to their demands
-richard went back on his word and killed rebel leaders
-john ball was hanged and body cut into pieces
-king and nobles were scared as it was the first time commoners rebelled against royal power
-rebellion failed
what were the long term effects of the peasants revolt?
-the poll tax was stopped until 1990
-workers wages began to rise as there was still a lack of workers as peasants could demand higher wages so land owners would pay
-first time ordinary people had revolted
-parliament stopped trying to control peasant wages
-due to the unused land (from black death) peasants could now buy their own land, freeing them from working the lords land
-peasants had become independent
-changed peasants lives
-taxes were never as high again
-john ball had inspired rebels
when did henry the 8th come to power?
1509
what happened with henry and the reformation?
henry the 8th was a devout catholic but he was unhappy with the wealth and power of the church
the pope refused to give henry a divorce so he made himself the head of the church of england through the act of supremacy 1534 giving him full control
what was the dissolution of the monastries?
henry started taking money from the monestries causing the dissolution
monasreies controlled 1/4th of land in england and had an income of £200,000, nearly double the king
1536 parliment closed all small monasteries
why were people unhappy with henry the 8th changes?
- rising prices
- changes to religion (dissolution of monasteries and wanted pope back as head of church)
- landowners lost influence
- cromwell had great power and was the creator of new religious policy
what happened in 1536 with the pilgrims?
a rebellion broke out in yorkshire due to their anger towards the changes caused by henry
they wanted henry to:
-restore monasteries
-recognise pope as head of the church
-dismiss cromwell and other ministers who were poorly advising the king
pilgramige of grace!!!
what were some key motivating factors of the pilgrimage of grace?
- north of england were mostly catholic and felt henry and cromwell were attacking their religion
- monasteries provided for the poor and helped the sick
- king was charging a lot of taxes
- there were poor harvest so people were hungry and unhappy
- people thought churches would be closed after monasteries
- dissolution of monasteries was attacking religion
what were the events of the pilgrimage of grace?
1536 yorkshire rebellion
the pligrims captured key locations
henry chose the duke of norfolk to represent him
nolfolk met with the rebels and they demanded that the north has better representation
norfolk promised robert aske (the rebel leader) and the rebels a pardon
= therefore the rebels went home
in 1537 the rebels attacked castles in hull and beverly
henry used this as an excuse to cancel the pardons
74 rebels were hung and the rebellion was squashed
what were the short term effects of the pilgrimage of grace?
-execution of the main leaders
-dissolution of monastries
-landowners gained more land
-local people take glass lead wooden beams
-henry has control again of church and country
-henry builds the english navy
what were the longer term effects of the pilgrimage of grace?
-henry has complete control
- england is no longer under control of the pope
-english navy established further
-death of cromwell
causes of the english civil war/revolution:
religion
- charles the 1st married a catholic princess from france, and she became charles’s closest advisor = people scared about her influence and what this could mean for the church
- england was mainly protestant however there were still many Catholics
- archbishop laud had huge amount of influence over religion, he felt strongly about conformity in the church
- laud was not catholic but arminian, meaning he believed people should worship in a similar way to Catholics
- laud met much opposition with puritans
- protestants were prominent in government
- 3 men wrote a pamphlet criticising the church = they were tried in the star chamber (a substitute for parliament), biased ruling as the ruling always favoured the king and laud
- scots were protestant therefore didn’t want to conform to laud’s way of worship like using the laudian prayer book = 1638 signed an agreement called the convent, saying they wouldn’t accept changes
- charles sent army to Scotland, and the covenanters defended it and then invaded england
causes of the english civil war/ revolution:
money
- fears that charles couldn’t be trusted with money and that he would use it to become independent from parliament
- as a result he introduced SHIP MONEY/TAX, made everyone pay this tax = could make charles financially independent
- after the 11 years charles dissolved parliament he asked to meet again in 1640, parliament provided charles with funds to fight the scots
- charles ruled without parliament for 11 years
how long did charles rule without parliment?
11 years
causes of the english civil war/ revolution:
power
- charles believed strongly in the divine right of kings, he was appointed by god
- charles always gained advice from his favourite advisers instead of parliament
- he dissolved parliament for 11 years = 11 years of tyranny
- relations between parliament and the king deteriorated = in 1642 an opponent of the king presented a list of grievances towards Charles, the king raised an army and marched to parliament to arrest the “5 men”, this proved charles was a tyrant
who fought who in the english civil war?
the roundheads - parliament
the cavaliers - the royalists
did the king or parliament have support of the south during the english civil war?
parliment
did the king or parliament have support of the north during the english civil war?
the king
who led the roundheads (the parliament)?
oliver cromwell
what was the new model army 1645?
oliver cromwell trained a new army
- he recruited men based on their ability, rather than their privilege
- the army was disciplined and lived by strong religious and moral code
- men were not allowed to drink or swear
- army used for the first time at battle of naseby = new model army 14,000 men outnumbered the kings 9000 men = defeating the royalist calvary
- men well paid
- soldiers believed god was on their side
when was king charles captured in the emglish civil war?
1647 by the scots in nottinghamshire
went on trial for treason
executed in 1649 at whitehall
what happened and resulted in charles’s execution?
- charles found guilty of treason, refused to plea as he didn’t want to recognise the power of the court
- executed 1649
- after his execution parliament abolished the monarchy and the house of lords
- england was declared a commonwealth
what was the significance of the english civil war?
- first time a king was not replaced by another king
- between 1649 and 1660 England tried to rule without a king but failed = parliament, army, cromwell
- when monarchy was restored it did not hold the same power = parliament met more regularly, not as influenced by the abilities of the king, parliament asked charles the 2nd to become king
what were some of the long-term causes of the american revolution?
- in early 1700s there were 13 english colonies in north america and later on the population of settlers and enslaved people was 2.5 million
- many colonists in America didn’t consider themselves english but American
- the British taxed the amercians to pay for the army as it ‘protected them’
- the British introduced the STAMP TAX of 1765 ( a tax on documents like newspapers) = people unhappy and rioted against this
- Americans were forced to comply with the NAVIGATION ACTS (ensuring that only British goods were imported into America)
- colonists felt bossed around by britian
what were some short-term causes of the American revolution?
- americans were ruled by britain but had no representation, no one to stand up for them
- NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
- Boston massacre in 1770 when anti-british colonists there snowballs and sticks at british army, the army opened fire and some were killed
- boston tea party when anti-british individuals threw tea into the sea
when did america declare independence?
they met in congress and made george washington the leader of their army
1776 they had a declaration of independence = stating that 13 colonies were free and that all control from britian had ended
however 7 years of fighting took place before the colonists were victorious
AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE BY THOMAS JEFFERSON
what happened at the battle of yorktown and how did America become victorious?
- many of the battles took place in forests and mountains that the british did not know very well
- yorktown battle 1781
- American troops perceived to be weak however they had the support of the french who secured the waters around yorktown = this was important was britain relied on their supplies from the sea
- George Washington attacked the british who had few weapons and no supplies therefore the british were forced to surrender
what were the consequences of the american revolution for the americans?
- not all americans were happy with their independence = some moved to Canada
- the Americans set up their own system of government known as a constitution with a parliament (congress) and a president
- America developed into the most powerful country in the world
- the “land of free” was not perfect = many poor farmers could not afford to buy their land and therefore had no vote, african-americans, women or indigenous people had no vote, slavery still existed
what were the consequences of the american revolution for Britain?
- britain spent a lot of money on the war and had lost a lot of men
- the involvement of France had worsened the relations between the two powers
- britain made up for the loss of America by colonising other countries
- America was used as a penal colony, but now britian used austrialia and new Zealand to send convicts
- the relationship between Britain and America improved over the years as the two countries started to trade with each other
- Britain was worried that the idea of overthrowing authority was one that might spread to Britain due to the growing working-class population
how did the american revolution influence other countries?
the french were fed up with their king
the people decided to take action and the french revolution took place
the American revolution was a trigger cause that resulted in the french revolution
what were some of the key problems with voting?
- the king and those who owned land and titles were the people who controlled the country
- rotten boroughs
- pocket boroughs
- no secret ballot
- potwalloper boroughs
- women could not vote
key problems with voting:
rotten boroughs
area that sent two MPs to represent that area even though no one lived there
however, places that had a large population like Birmingham has no mps therefore no representation in parliament
key problems with voting:
pocket boroughs
boroughs that were controlled by rich individuals who did not represent the needs of everyone
key problems with voting:
no secret ballot
meant that people had to say in public who they were voting therefore people could be easily bribed and some people were sacked if they didn’t vote for the “right” candidate
key problems with voting:
potwalloper boroughs
people allowed to vote purely because they had a fireplace and a locked door
what was the peterloo massacre in 1819?
many people gathered at st peters fields for a peaceful protest
the local government panicked due to large amount of people that gathered
they called the local military in
= 600 people injured and 15 killed
as a result of this, the government introduced the SIX ACTS stating that any meeting of more than 50 people was an act of treason, therefore breaking the law
who was thomas attwood and what was his role in bringing about parliamentary reform?
he formed the birmingham political union of the lower and middle classes of people (BPU) in 1829
- attwood along with 8000 others sent a petition to parliament, this petition claimed to vote for all men who contributed to local or national taxes = the petition was rejected
- BPU vowed to cooperate with the law, making it harder for it to be banned
what was the great reform act of 1832?
earl grey’s whig government tried to pass laws for a reform act three times! - this was due to the house of lords not wanting to pass an act that would give ordinary people more power
how successful was the great reform act?
- the middle class did well out of the GFA, for example: merchants and industrialists gained more representation and were happy that their interests were being considered
- middle class now could vote = now had influence meaning more change could occur
- rotten boroughs were removed and towns like Birimgham were given MPs
- didn’t change things for the working class in the short term however it proved things could be changed in the future
- the reform act reduced the power of the king and landowners
how did poor harvests and the poor law motivate chartism?
- working-class people were becoming more disgruntled due to the poor living and working conditions
- was hard to find work due to the new invention of machines
- 1 machine = the work of 10 men and faster
- most jobs no longer required skill
- poor law was reformed in 1834, it offered help to those financially struggling
- the help the poor law offered was being sent to a workhouse
- bad harvest in the 1830s
who formed the chartist movement?
william lovett
when was the chartist movement formed?
1836
how was the chartist movement formed?
in 1836 william lovett started a campaign
thomasa attwood and the Birmingham political union also joined this campaign
led led to a national chartist convention being held in 1839
peaceful movement as lovett was Christian and lovett organised the mass signing of petions to be sent to parliment
what were the chartists 6 main aims?
PEOPLE’S CHARTER
people’s charter:
- votes for all men
- equal-sized constituencies
- voting in secret
- wages for mps
- no property qualifications to be able to vote
- an election every year
was the chartists first petition to parliament accepted or rejected?
rejected
= as a result some chartists believed peaceful protest was not enough
how did some chartists react to the first rejection of the petition?
chartists in south wales were angered
- unemployment there was higher than average and people were starving
- they marched on newport in 1839
- one of their leaders had been imprisoned there so they decided to attack the prison and free him
- however, the authorities were waiting for them and they opened fired and 22 men were killed
how did the chartists react to the second rejection of their petition?
when it was rejected for the second time in 1842, violent actions were starting to be taken
many workers in factories started to vandalise machinery (known as plug plots)
there was a general strike called by o’connor the new chartist leader
what happened in 1847?
the economic and agricultural depression had returned to Britain = a surge in support for the chartists
what other area of reform did the chartist movement inspire?
lovett was committed to education and reform = helped bring a better standard of living to working-class communities
chartists became heavily involved in trade unions
temperance was promoted - the 0 tolerance of alcohol, belief that parliament would take them seriously if they were sober = showing working class were disciplined and worthy of the vote
oconnor was interested in land reform - felt that everyone was entitled to land and if they had land they could leave the factory towns and problems faced there
what was the government’s response to chartists?
- the government feared the chartists
- rejected the chartists’ petitions
- put up posters asking people not to attend chartist meetings
- they freely arrested chartists
- people used transportation to punish people by sending them to different countries = dissuaded people from joining the chartists
when and what happened with the end of chartism?
O’Connor and 50,000 supporters met in 1848, however the duke of welligton expected more therefore he had troops, police, over 85,000 special constables
oconnor was made to go alone to give the third petition to parliament
the petition was said to have 5 million signatures however it only had 2 million and it transpired that thousands of the signatures were forged
the movement wasn’t a complete disaster but it was the end for chartists
why did the chartist movement fail in the short term?
- strong parliamentary opposition = government suppression of local meetings and gatherings
- standard of living started to increase there was many alternate working-class movements like trade unionism and cooperatives
- divided leadership of lovett and o’connor
significance of the chartists:
short term consequences
1867, 1872, 1888 reform bills
overtime 5/6 points were achieved
significance of the chartists:
long term consequences
influenced other political movements
helped working-class develop their own political culture
seen as the first modern political party in its aims, methods and organisation
what were the corn laws?
the government passed the corn laws in 1815:
- designed to keep the price of wheat high
- if price of wheat was too low imports would be stopped
- kept the wealthy landowners and farmers happy
why and how did the anti-corn law leaguers protest?
- made up of middle-class men who felt restrictions were unfair on the poor and manufacturing middle-class
- john bright and Richard cobden toured around the country giving speeches and pamphlets against the corn laws
- the league had a lot of support with two supporters as MPS and support of the prime minister who was a supporter of free trade and wanted to remit the corn laws however his fellow conservative party didn’t want to
what were the main arguments of the anti-corn law league?
- laws were unfair to the poor as they increased the price of basic food
- cheap wheat could help lower living costs
-people could spend more money on other foods, such as meat, would help farmers - people could spend more money on industrial goods, benefiting the manufactures
- countries could export their wheat to britian would have the money to invest in industry
- relationship built up through trade with countries would ensure peace in Europe in the coming years
when and what was the potato failure in Ireland?
1840s
caused by the crop disease blight, which spread across Europe
this was a problem for the poor in Ireland as they relied on potatoes and bread for their diet
by 1846 Ireland was experiencing a terrible famine and millions were starving
the corn laws meant there was no spare corn to send to ireland
when were the corn laws repealed?
1846, robert peel repealed the corn laws
what was the impact of the corn laws being repealed?
the increase in population and return to normal prices meant that prices of wheat didn’t effect farmers and landowners
poor were able to afford wheat
price of oats, barley, meat increased
what was the slave trade?
- britian has been involved in slavery since the 15th century
- Britain sold slaves to work in the Caribbean, America and some in England
- set up plantations of cotton and sugar, slaves picked these crops
what was life like as an enslaved person?
- conditions were dreadful on the ships that took slaves africans across the Atlantic
- people were treated like animals during auctions where people would bid on them
- enslaved people were expected to work all their life
- if they didn’t work hard enough or tried to escape they would be severely punished
- average life expectancy 27 years
abolition of slavery movement:
william wilberforce created the anti-slavery society
the society: held public meetings to educate people, produced phamplets and posters, wore badges = raise awareness and show support
who was william wilberforce and how did he contribute to the abolition of slavery movement?
motivated by christian faith
spoke in parliament and pushed several bills through to abolish slavery
in 1797 presented a petition to parliament to end slavery
secured the abolition of the slave trade act in 1807, which made it illegal to buy or sell enslaved people in the British empire
who was thomas clarkson and how did he contribute to the abolition of the slavery movement?
collected information about slavery and the conditions on board slave ships
considered slavery as evil and decided to do something about it
produced drawings of the conditions on slave ships and pamphlets to show how horrible the conditions are
how did the resistance of enslaved people contribute to the abolition of the slavery movement?
example:
when britian took control of jamaica in 1655 the maroons escaped from the plantations where they were forced to work and went to live in the mountains
the British negotiated with the maroons and managed to control rebellions for a while
was the abolition of slavery successful?
the abolition of slavery act in 1833 instantly freed enslaved people
smuggling of enslaved people became a problem and conditions were worse as there was no one to regulate it
britian increased the pressure on other nations to abolish slavery
factory and social reform:
the poor working conditions in the factories and mines
- long working hours
- accidents were common = young people lost limbs and in extreme cases their lives
- many young children lost their legs in mines as carts ran over them
- children in factories were being caught under machines
- factory owners mistreated their workers
- girls would be made to carry bags of 180kg of coal
- women were dragging carts of coal on their hands and knees
factor and social reform:
how did people hear about the poor conditions?
- reports came from inspectors
- MP micheal sadler, reported that factory children being injured and mistreated = he suggested that those under 18 should not work 10+ hours a day
- reform of working conditions
- miners act 1842
- poor law amendment act 1834
factory and social reform:
why were people against reform?
laissez-faire politics - belief that politics should not be involved in peoples personal lives
what were individuals who helped gain reform called?
philanthropists
factory and social reform:
who was robert owen?
- he had a successful mill in manchester where he treated his workers well
- he was a socialist therefore driven by creating an equal society
- in 1810 he introduced the 8-hour day
- opened a school in 1816, all children had to have a certain number of hours of education
factory and social reform:
who was edwin Chadwick?
- he was responsible for the reform of the poor law that resulted in many people entering workhouses
- wrote a report called “the sanitary conditions of the labouring population”, which showed the link between the poor housing and sanitation of the workers and outbreaks of killer diseases like cholera = significant as most upper/middle-class individuals blamed the workers themselves
factory and social reform:
who was elizabeth fry?
- she was a social reformer and prison reformer
- in prison, she saw hundreds of women and children huddled on the floor in 2 cells, they had to cook and clean for themselves, and children had to share cells with murders
- she established a school and chapel in the prison
factory and social reform:
who was josephine butler?
- she was concerned with the issue of child prostitution and campaigned for the age of consent to rise from 13 to 16
- she was appalled at how women were treated when arrested for prostitution
- in 1869 the contagious disease act was introduced as a way of keeping sexually transmitted infections away from the armed forces, any woman could be examined by a police officer = butler repealed the act in 1883
who were the luddites?
people who opposed the new technology
they would deliberately break machinery in the hope that factory owners would turn away from technology
who were the swing rioters?
people who opposed the new technology
they were angered by the depression in agriculture and the new machines that took their jobs
they set fire to farms and damaged machines
what was the combination act of 1825?
this defined the rights of trade unions as meetings to discuss wages and conditions
anything outside this was illegal
act brought around to control threats of groups of workers and stopped them picketing
what was the grand national consolidated trade union (GNCTU) 1834?
set up by robert owen in 1834
brought workers together
what was the scottish friendly association of cotton spinners in 1837?
they took strike action whenever they were unhappy with something to do with their job and would refuse to work until their demands were met
what were new model unions?
1851 amalgamated society of engineers (ASE) - union of highly skilled men who paid subscriptions ensuring their sick pay and other benefits
1860 new model unions carpenters
1866 new model unions tailors
known as new model unions as they accepted the structure but negotiated improvements
who were the tolpuddle martyrs?
- farm labourers from a small village in dorset
- they formed a union to try and negotiate better pay and conditions
- new farm machinery = fewer labourers needed & anyone could operate machinery = no special training was needed = wages dropped
- leader was George loveless
what was the “crime” that the tolpuddle martyrs committed?
- not broken the law by being part of a trade union
- illegal to take secret oaths
- the men had all taken an oath to keep their union secret = therefore breaking the law
how were the tolpuddle martyrs punished?
- men found guilty of making an unlawful oath
- sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia of hard labour
how did the public react to the treatment of the tolpuddle martyrs?
- various organisations who were dedicated to overturning the decision
- Robert owen called a meeting of the GNCTU and 10,000 attended
- after persistent campaigning and petitions on 14 march 1836 all men were given a full and free pardon = trade unions won
why did the match stick girls go on strike?
- conditions in the factory were poor and many of the girls and women working became very ill and some even died
- common illness was PHOSSY JAW, caused by white phosphorus that was used to make matches light = it caused their jaws to rot = teeth to fall out = those who survived were left with disfigured faces
- workers paid poor wages
- often funded by factory owner for small things like not working fast enough or being late to work
went on strike in 1888
who helped the match stick girls strike?
annie besant
what did the match stick girls and annie besant do when striking?
- higher wages for the women and register them for strike pay
- wrote articles in support of the women
- held public meetings to raise awareness of the match factory conditions
- marched the women in a procession to houses of parliament
were the match stick girls striking successful or unsuccessful?
- successful
- the employers agreed to the demands and removed the system of deductions and fines
- given a pay rise
why did the dockers strike?
- wanted better pay and working conditions
- pay rise from 5 pence an hour to 6 pence
- wanted 8 pence an hour for any overtime work
- had to compete for work = regularly go days without any work
what were the tactics of the dockers while striking?
- more militant than new model unions
- their leader was ben tillet
- marched through London to raise the profile of the strike and get support
- men carried rotten vegetables and fish on their heads to show what they and their families were living on
- picketed the gates of london docks
was the dockers strike successful or unsuccessful?
- gained the support of influential people like the lord mayor of London
- the public was sympathetic and supported their demands
- unions in Australia donated £30,000 to support the strike
- this all forced the hand of the dock owners and the men received their pay rise and guaranteed 4 hour days
when and who created the suffragists?
- the national union of women’s suffrage societies
- created in 1897
- led by millicient fawcett
- mainly middle class women
were the suffragists militant or peaceful and what were their methods when campaigning for votes for women?
- peaceful
- marches
- meetings
- petitions
= gained support for mps who supported votes for women, never enough to achieve their aims though
when and who created the suffragettes?
- the women’s social and political union
- created in 1903
- led by emmeline Pankhurst
- a breakaway group of the suffragists (NUWSS)
were the suffragettes militant or peaceful and what were their methods when campaigning for votes for women?
- militant
- disrupted political meetings
- attacked police officers
- vandalised mps houses
- set fire to letterboxes
= attracted a lot of media attention but also alienated a lot of potential supporters
what happened on derby day in 1913?
- at the derby day in epsom the kings horse was running around the race course and it was deliberately brought down by emily wilding Davidson (a suffragette)
- she died in the hospital due to the injuries she had obtained
- became the first martyr of the suffragette movement
- she was trying to stick a suffragette rosette on the horse but instead was trampled
what was the cat and mouse act?
- suffragette tactics extended to prisons
- they went on hunger strikes = gained publicity
- the government knew they could not have women dying in prison as many of the women were middle class who had influential husbands or fathers
- prison officers tried to force-feed the suffragettes = this was dangerous and could lead to disabilities and death
- the government passed the TEMPORARY DISCHARGE FOR ILL HEALTH ACT in 1913 = allowing women to be released when they became too weak from starvation, once they were better they returned t the prisons
what happened when war broke out in 1914?
- NUWSS and WPSU united to support the war efforts and earned the nickname of “angel of the factory”
- proved that women could do the same jobs as men and that they could make clear headed decisions
what happened in 1918?
the representation of peoole act was passed:
- men over the age of 21 could vote
- some women over the age of 21 could vote if they owned property otherwise they had to be over 30
what changes were made after world war 2?
- ABORTION ACT 1967 = women could have an abortion if they faced an unwanted pregnancy
- DIVORCE ACT 1969 = women can request a diverse from their husband
- EQUAL PAY ACT 1970 = illegal to pay women less than men for the same job
- CONTRACEPTION = became widely available on the NHS after 1974
- EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT 1975 = illegal to sack a woman because she was pregnant
why were british mines in a crisis in 1920s?
foreign competition and lack of modern technology
general strike:
black friday
- friday 1921
- mine owners announced an extension of the working day
- announced a drop in wages
- workers were outraged and decided to strike
- the trade union congress called a strike
- however many unions pulled out as they didn’t feel the immediate concern
- this left the miners unsupported therefore they decided to return to work
general strike:
red friday
- 1925 the price of coal fell again and the mine owners declared further changes to hours and pay
- prime minister baldwin decided to subsidise the coal industry to avoid strike action
- he also set up the Samuel Commission to aid the miners and mine owners in compromising
what happned in 1926?
- baldwin’s subsidy money ran out
- the workers decided/agreed to strike
- ships sat unloaded in docks, trains didn’t move, coal wasn’t mined
- the country was divided
how long did the general strike last in 1926?
9 days
general strike:
actions of the government during strike
- made army take over the jobs of striking workers
- encouraged middle-class students to take a break from university and work in heavy industries
- started a propaganda campaign turning the public against the strikers
- baldwin referred to the strike as a revolution and communism
general strike:
actions of the strikers during their strike
- created their own newspaper to explain their motivations for the strike
- used the paper to remind workers to be peaceful
- some strikers were violent and clashed with the police
- strikers travelled the country to picket with other industries
- funds set up to feed strikers
what were the consequences of the failed general strike?
- union membership fell dramatically
- this coincided with a rise in unemployment
- the government made an act claiming it illegal for unions to join together and strike
trade unions:
when was the miner’s strike?
1984/1985
trade unions:
why did the miners strike in 1984?
- miners wanted better pay and working conditions
- went on strike for a year but failed to achieve their aims
- miners were not united and many kept working
- Margaret Thatcher wanted to reduce the power of the unions
= union movements have never been as strong since this failure
what country was known as the “mother country”?
britian
- had a large empire
- migration from the commonwealth made britian a multiracial nation
what happened in london in 1948?
- the ship EMPIRE WINDRUSH docked at London, with 492 people from the Caribbean
- the 1948 british nationality act gave 800 million commonwealth members the chance to come to the “mother country” and gain full English citizenship
why were immigrants encouraged to come to britian?
- shortage of labour
- opportunity
why were immigrants encouraged to come to britian?
shortage of labour
- shortage of labour for low-paid and unskilled jobs in britian
- the government was trying to rebuild the country after the war and to do this they needed people to fill these jobs
- wanted to secure the loyalty of these countries in case they were needed again
examples:
- london transport = recruited people from Barbados and jamaica to drive buses and trains
why were immigrants encouraged to come to britian?
opportunity
- British companies held recruitment fairs = which meant that before even leaving home, many immigrants had secured a job
what was the experience for immigrants?
- the surge of black men into communities caused resentment
- most white people moved out to other areas, called “white flight” = segregation
- groups of white young men felt that immigrants were stealing “their women”
- this tension exploded in 1958 at the Noting Hill riots in London
- many highly educated immigrants were forced to take low-paid, unskilled work as their qualifications were not accepted in britian
- asian and Caribbean immigrants were treated differently
- overcrowding was a big problem as landlords refused to let immigrants rent their accommodation
why was government intervention needed in terms of immigration and segregation?
after the notting hill riots in 1958 relations between immigrant groups and white residents were not good
- factory owners were reluctant to employ black workers = increasing segregation
- the general feeling was that there were too many immigrants settling in major cities and this was viewed as needing to be stopped
what were the government’s two aims in regard to immigrants?
they had two main aims:
- curb the number of immigrants coming into the country
- tackle the racial discrimination that had developed
government responses to immigration:
COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1962
COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1962, controlled the immigration of all commonwealth passport holders, stating that immigrants had to apply for a work voucher before coming to britian, and could only get a voucher if their skills were in demand = impacted commonwealth doctors and nurses as their qualifications weren’t recognised
government responses to immigration:
ANOTHER COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1964
ANOTHER COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1964, put tighter controls on immigration by extending restrictions to those who were part of the commonwealth, if people didn’t have a parent or grandparent who was born or was a citizen of the UK they could not move there = confirmed that non-white immigration was the problem that the government was trying to stop = racist and unfair
government responses to immigration:
IMMIGRATION ACT 1971
IMMIGRATION ACT 1971, act replaced employment vouchers with work permits, only allowing temporary residence in britian, encouraged voluntary repatriation (government could assist people in moving back to their country of origin), and allowed chain migration (families could join those who already had citizenship)
who was a key figure who fuelled racism in politics?
ENOCH POWELL - a conservative mp
- his politics were highly supported
- his policy was known as POWELLISM
- viewed white British people as superior to those who were non-white
- gave a speech in 1968 where he called all immigrants to return home “river’s of blood speech”
what acts were introduced to improve race relations?
1965 RACE RELATIONS ACT - prevented racial discrimination in housing and employment
1968 COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT - aimed to help the integration of immigrant communities
1976 RACE RELATIONS ACT - extended the definition of discrimination to any practice that disadvantaged another group, race relations board was replaced with the COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY which had greater power
race riots:
battle of lewisham
- sparked by a national front (a group who wanted all nonwhite immigrants in Britain to return to their country of origin) march through the borough
- the black community felt let down by police as the police let the march happen
- relations between the black community and the police were disintegrating
- the black community was being blamed for the crime in the area
- the national front claimed “a multiracial society is wrong, is evil and we will destroy it”
race riots:
brixion riots 1981
- the role of the police and their poor relationship with black communities sparked the riots
- there was a recession in the late 1970s = economic hardships and hit black communities hard with high unemployment, poor housing and higher crime rates
- many individuals in brixon felt they were being discriminated
- the police were allowed to stop and search people they suspected committed a crime, known as the SUS LAW = this led to racial profiling
- operation swamp 81 meant brixon was filled with police officers using the sus law and over 1000 people were stopped in 6 days
- tension boiled over when rumours of police brutality against a black man led to an angry crowd confronting police officers
- an arrest of a young black man in 1981 started the riot where for 3 days young black people fought the police and set fire to buildings and vehicles
- 300 police officers hurt, 100 vehicles destroyed, 82 arrests made
what were the consequences of the brixion riots?
- government set up an inquiry into the riots
- report was published in 1981 blaming the police for being racist towards the black community in brixion
- this led to the creation of the independent police complaints authority
