power and the people- part 3, 19C, reform and reformers Flashcards
The Chartists, Campaigners and Reformers, Trade Unions
in the 1800s, what class in Britain grew rapidly due to the Industrial Revolution
the working class
what were the issues with a rapidly growing working class in Britain in the 1800s
- they demanded representation and weren’t scared of overthrowing those in authority with influence
- wanted a democracy
describe the electoral system in Britain in the early 1800s
- the king and major landowners controlled the country
- the workers in the new towns and cities had no representation
- rotten boroughs had no one living there but still sent two MPs to parliament
- pocket boroughs were controlled by rich individuals
- women did not have the right to vote
- no secret ballot so voters could be bribed or intimidated to vote for someone
- there was no standard property qualification that gave someone the vote- some people could vote by just having a fireplace whilst others had to own a house
in 1819, how many workers gathered in Manchester, what was it called
- 60,000
- Peterloo Massacre
who led the Peterloo Massacre
- Henry Hunt- was a public speaker which people gathered to listen
- he was calling for a reform to Parliament
why was the government worried about the Peterloo Massacre
as it was a very large crowd- worried about the threat of rebellion after the French revolution- so called the local troops
in 10mins after troops arrived at the Peterloo Massacre, how many people were injured and killed
600 injured, 15 killed
what happened to Henry Hunt after the Peterloo Massacre
he was arrested and put in prison
what was the law made after the Peterloo Massacre, what did it state
Six Acts- stated that any meeting of more than 50 people for radical reform was an act of treason
after the Six Acts, how did the working and middle class try to reform instead of protesting
by persuading the government to change things and extend the franchise
who formed the Birmingham Political Union of the Lower and Middle class in 1829
Thomas Attwood
Attwood and 8000 others sent what to parliament
a petition for reform
what did Attwood’s petition state
they wanted shorter parliaments to make it harder to buy votes, end property qualifications and the vote for all men who paid taxes
what did the Birmingham Political Union of the Lower and Middle class (renamed ‘Birmingham Political Union (BPU)) vow to do?
cooperate with the law
what did Attwood call for people not to do in 1829
pay taxes- ordered people to not pay their taxes and make the government and king worried
when was the Great Reform Act
1832
in 18390, what party came to power and who led it
The Whig party came to power (replaced the Tory’s) and were led by Earl Grey
in what year did King George III die and who succeeded him
- 1830
- William IV
both the Whig party and William IV were more open to what
reform
how many times did Earl Grey try to pass laws for reform but was denied by the House of Lords
3 times
why did the House of Lords deny the laws for reform 3x in 1830
as they did not want ordinary people to have more power by being represented in parliament
what were the terms of the Great Reform Act of 1832
- 56 very small locations lose the right to elect their own MPs
- 30 other smaller towns lose one MP
- London and other larger cities were given more MPs
- people who earn over £150 a year can vote
- voters increase from 435,000 to 642,000
how ‘great’ what was the Great Reform Act of 1832 for the middle class
- merchants and industrialists gained more representation
- rotten boroughs were removed and new towns and cities got an MP
how ‘great’ what was the Great Reform Act of 1832 for the working class
- most working-class people didn’t earn enough to vote
- no secret ballot meant those who could vote had to vote for their factory owner/landowner
what were the social causes of Chartism in the 1830s
- most workers in the new towns and cities lived in poor conditions
- bad harvests in the 1830s meant many farm workers couldn’t feed their families
what were the economic causes of Chartism in the 1830s
- skilled workers were no longer needed because of new machines in factories
- the Poor Law of 1834 sent many people with financial problems to the workhouse
what were the political causes of Chartism in the 1830s
- the Great Reform Act did not give the working class the vote
- there was still no secret ballot
what year did the Chartist movement start, who was their main leader
- 1836
- William Lovett
- he was from the London Working Men’s association and started a campaign with the support of Thomas Attwood and the BPU
- the Chartists wanted MPs to be paid because then the working class could become MPs and represent working people in parliament
William Lovett used moral force in his Chartist campaigns, what were his main 4 actions that he took to gain the vote
- sent first petition to parliament in 1839- was rejected
- sent his second petition to parliament in 1842- was rejected
- encouraged temperance among members to show they were disciplined and worthy of the vote
- edited a newspaper, The Chartist
who was the leader of the Chartists that encouraged physical force
Feargus O’Connor
what were Feargus O’Connor’s 5 actions to gain the vote for Chartists
- called for violence after the rejection of the 1842 petition
- encouraged workers to damage machinery (plug plot)
- called for a general strike and a republic
- sent third petition to parliament in 1848 after return of economic and agricultural depression in 1847- Rejected
- established the more radical newspaper, Northern Star
as the government were worried about Chartism, what did they do to try and shut it down
- rejected petitions
- put up posters asking people not to attend Chartist meetings
- arrested Chartists regularly
- transported Chartists to countries like Australia
what were the 2 main causes of the Newport Rising in 1839
- unemployment was higher than the national average
- many people were starving
what happened in the Newport Rising, 1839
- protesters planned to release their leader from prison
- soldiers guarding the prison opened fire and 22 men were killed
when was the third Chartist petition sent to parliament
1848
who was the leader of the Chartists third petition
O’Connor
how many people met on Kennington Common in London, 10th April 1848 to support the Chartists third petition
50,000
were the authorities prepared for the Chartists third petition and the amount of supporters
yes they expected more than 50,000 so had thousands of police to stop O’Connors supporters entering the city
how many signatures did the Chartists third petition have
5 million- however many were forged and it only had 2 million
did Chartism fail
yes in the short term
why did Chartism fail in the short term
- strong parliamentary opposition
- standard of living started to increase in the 1850s
- alternative working class movements grew
- split leadership between Lovett and O’Connor
- lacked one clear message
what were the Chartists aims
- votes for all men
- equal-sized constituencies
- voting in secret
- wages for MPs
- no property qualifications for the vote
- an election every year
why was Chartism seen as successful in the long term
- as 5/6 of their aims were fulfilled:
- votes for all men- 1918
- equal sized constituencies- 1884
- voting in secret- 1872
- wages for MPs- 1911
- no property qualifications to be able to vote- 1918 (men)
- only one that wasn’t, was having an election every year
when were the Corn Laws introduced
1815
why were the Corn Laws introduced
- during the war with France, Britain had banned cheap French wheat used to make flour for bread
- without any competition, British farmers got a high price for the wheat they grew
- when the war ended many politicians wanted to keep big profits from high wheat prices
- so wheat prices were kept high (corn laws)- to make farmers and landowners happy
as a result of the high prices of bread, what happened across the country (Corn Laws)
many riots
who was the Anti-Corn Law League created by and made up of
middle class men and had 2 prominent members
Richard Cobden- MP in 1841
John Bright- MP in 1843
what tactics did the Richard Cobden and John Bright use to spread the Anti-corn law leagues aims throughout the country
- gave speeches
- created pamphlets
- published newspaper articles
- used railways to travel faster
- sent pamphlets through the penny post to reach every eligible voter
what were the reasons people opposed the Corn Laws
- were unfair to the poor as the price of bread- a basic food- was far too high
- cheap wheat could lower living costs
- people would have more money to spend on other goods, such as meat
- people could buy industrial goods
- improved trade with other countries would help to secure peace
did the Prime Minister at the time support the Anti-Corn Law League? who was it?
- yes he did- PM was Robert Peel
- however, he was the leader of the conservative party which was mostly made up of landowners so he would have to convince them
what was the Irish Famine in 1846
- the Irish heavily relied on bread and potatoes for their diet- the potato harvest in 1846 failed and their was no spare wheat to send to Ireland from Britain to the millions starving
- Peel would have to repeal the Corn laws to allow cheaper foreign wheat to be imported to feed the million starving
in what year did Robert Peel repeal the Corn Laws
1846
what was Peel forced to do after repealing the Corn Laws
received so much opposition from his party that he was forced to resign
however, after the Corn Laws were repealed, did the farmers still do well or not
yes as there was more money for people to spend on barley, oats and meat
in the 1800s people started to accept that trading slaves was wrong, why?
- the comparison to working conditions in factories for so-called ‘white slaves’
- religious belief that slavery was not christian
who created the Anti-Slavery Society
William Wilberforce (MP)
who were the 4 key figures of the Anti-Slavery Society
- William Wilberforce MP- spoke for abolition in parliament and presented a petition in 1797
- Granville Sharp- argued in Law Courts to free slaves and clarify the law about slave ownership
- Thomas Clarkson- collected information and produced drawings and pamphlets about the conditions on slave ships
- Olaudah Equiano- former slave who wrote a widely-read book about his life
what were the main slave rebellions (resistance) that happened to stop the slave trade
- Maroon slaves- escaped from their plantation in Jamaica in 1655- lived in Mountains and celebrated their native African culture
- St Dominique slaves- rebelled by killing their white plantation owners and burnt the sugar crops
how was slave resistance helpful to stopping the slave trade
it showed that they were no longer willing to accept slavery, and would use any means necessary to gain freedom
what was the impact of the abolition of the slave trade movement
- 1833 Act- only instantly freed those under the age of six- others not freed for another 4 years
- slaves were now forced to compete for paid work- they still had to live and work in horrible conditions
- smuggling became widespread and was not regulated
what were the key dates of the abolition of the slave trade movement
- 1807- abolished slave trade
- 1833- abolition of slavery act- slave ownership banned
when did the Industrial Revolution start and what did it move away from
started around 1750- and moved away from the manufacture of goods at home to the manufacture of goods in factories
what were the factory conditions like in the 1800s
- factories and coalmines were dangerous places- organised to make profit with little concern for safety of the workers
- children as young as 4 worked in coalmines and some 6 year olds worked in factories
- working hours were very long and accidents were common, with children losing limbs and in some cases they died
what was the public’s reaction to the working conditions of factories and mines
horrified mainly for children and women and some wanted to help improve these conditions
most politicians didn’t agree with reform of the factories and mines- who were the 6 that did
Micheal Sadler, Lord Shaftesbury, Robert Owen, Edwin Chadwick, Elizabeth Fry, Josephine Butler
describe Micheal Sadler and his motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform- factory
- motivation- terrible conditions children worked in, dangers of the machines, poor treatment of children by the factory owner, weight of coal being lifted by women and children
- actions- suggested maximum 10-hour working day for those under 18
describe Lord Shaftesbury and his motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform- factory and social
- motivation- Improving lives of children both at work and socially, Christian faith
- actions- supporter of the Mines Act 1842, supported the 10-hour working day, campaigned for more education for factory children
describe Robert Owen and his motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform- factory and social
- motivation- Mill owner but a socialist, thought a happy workforce was more important than profit
- actions- Supported the 10 hour day, introduced an 8 hour working day in 1810, opened a school at his New Lanark factory in 1816, social areas for workers to visit in time-off
describe Edwin Chadwick and his motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform- social
- motivation- Improving living conditions for those in towns and cities, improving the health of the population
- actions- Wrote a report which linked sanitation with epidemics like cholera, reported on the causes of poverty
describe Elizabeth Fry and her motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform-social
- motivation- Christian faith, helping the poor, prison reform
- actions- Opened a school and a chapel in Newgate prison, had a prison reform raised in parliament, conditions for women on transportation ships were improved
describe Josephine Butler and her motivation and actions for improving working conditions of the factory and mine workers
- type of reform- social
- motivation- family were involved in social reform and abolition, christian faith, repealing the 1869 Contagious Disease Act
- actions- Campaigned to protect women arrested for being prostitutes, campaigned for the age of consent to rise from 13 to 16, contagious Disease Act repealed in 1883
what was the Factory Act of 1833
- applied to all textile mills except silk
- no children under 9 could work in factories
- children aged 9-13 could work up to 48 hours a day
- 13-18 years old could work no more than 69 hours a week
- children under 13 had to attend school for 2 hours a day
- four inspectors were appointed to check the act was enforced
what was the Mines Act of 1842
- women and Children under 10 were not to work underground
- no child under 15 could be in charge of winding machines
impact of the factory and mine reforms?
- many workers felt that the government’s reform acts had not gone far enough
- poor people were still at a disadvantage and this was only made worse by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834
- people started to join together in trade unions to fight for change
what were trade unions called in medieval times
Workers’ Guilds
what did Workers’ Guilds do
controlled the wages and prices; businesses were small and conditions were good
during the Industrial Revolution wage competition was a big problem, so what could workers not do
couldn’t complain about their wages as they would be sacked and replaced
due to the introduction of new technology in factories, what did this mean for workers
less skilled workers were needed decreasing jobs
what did the 1825 Combination act allow workers to do
come together in trade unions to negotiate wages and conditions but nothing else (couldn’t use intimidation or picketing)
who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs
six farmers led by George Loveless based in Tolpuddle, Dorset- tried to negotiate for better pay and working conditions
when was the Tolpuddle Martyrs
February 1834
as the Tolpuddle Martyrs hadn’t broken any laws as being part of a Trade union was now legal, what did they get arrested for
- swearing a secret oath to keep their trade union was breaking a law
- their landowner heard about this and was worried about them even starting a Trade Union so got them arrested
what were the consequences for the Tolpuddle Martyrs
they got sent to Australia to endure hard labour
what was the public’s reaction to the Tolpuddle Martyrs
- people were determined to overturn this decision of sending them to Australia
- people gathered petitions to send the men back to England (200,000 people marched to Parliament with a petition of 800,000 names)
- on March 14th 1836 the men returned free from all crimes
- the trade unions had won
what was Robert Owen’s aim for all trade unions
- bring them all together under the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union (GNCTU)
- he called a meeting to free the Tolpuddle Martyrs and 10,000 people attended
when were New Model Unions started
1851
why were groups such as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and the Carpenters seen as ‘New Model’ unions
- as the men were:
- highly skilled
- could afford to pay subscriptions to ensure they received sick pay and other benefits
- did not want to destroy the structure they worked in
- negotiate rather than going on strike
why did ‘new model’ unions help the workers
as it helped gain support from the government and workers could now picket for their rights and trade unions had legal status
why weren’t new model unions fully satisfied
- as they only benefited the more affluent workers
- so the poor, unskilled working class were still very unhappy- so they decided to take their own action- formed New Unionism
what were the 2 main New Unionism groups that went on strike
- Matchgirls’ strike
- Dockers’ strike
who were the Matchgirls
women and girls who made matches
where and when did the Matchgirls go on strike
- Bryant and May Factory- London
- in 1888
why did the Matchgirls go on strike
- conditions in the factory were poor and many of the women became ill, often from poisoning from chemicals used in the matches
- caused ‘Phossy Jaw’
- poor pay and were frequently fined
describe the events of the Matchgirls’ strike led by Annie Besant
- went on strike and caught the sympathy of the public
- Besant organised a group called “White Slaves of London”- which she used to boycott the matches made at Bryant and May factory
- 1400 more workers went on strike and Besant asked for demands
what were the 4 things the Matchgirls strike did
- asked for higher wages for the women and registered 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 the Houses of Parliament
was the Matchgirls strike successful
- yes, their demands were met and removed the deductions and fines
- given a pay rise
who were the Dockers’ involved with in the Dockers’ strike
Dockers who worked in London- led by Ben Tillet
when and where was the Dockers’ strike
1889 in London
why did the Dockers go on strike
- wanted a pay increase from 5 to 6 pence an hour and more for overtime
- also wanted a guaranteed 4 hours of work a day
what were the tactics of the Dockers’ strike
- became more militant
- marched through London carrying rotten veg and fish to show the public what their families were living on
- picketed the gates of the London docks
was the Dockers’ strike successful
yes as a donation was made from unions in Australia of £30,000 which forced the dock owners to give them their demands
