Social Reform

Question 1

What were the working conditions like for the poor in the 1890’s?

Answer 1

• Millions unemployed
• Wages were too low and irregular
• Very long working hours
• Sweated trades:
  
  • -> tailoring, hauling, crafting
  • -> all in appalling conditions
• People crammed in workhouses

Question 2

What were the traditional views of the poor?

Answer 2

• That poverty was their own fault
  
  • -> that they spent their money on drink and were lazy
• That they simply needed to work harder
• NOT HOW IT WAS

Question 3

Who was Charles Booth and what did he do to help the poor?

Answer 3

• Successful business man
• Attended lectures and read reports on poverty in London
• Originally thought the reports were exaggerating
• Found out they were doing the opposite, found appalling conditions and poverty
• He was taken seriously because he was a serious businessman
• Wrote 17 books about poor
• Exposed that 30% of London lived under poverty line
• Exposed that the problems were because of low wages, casual work, trade depressions, old age or illness

Question 4

Who was Seebohm Rowntree and how did he help the poor?

Answer 4

• Head of ‘Rowntrees’ confectionary company in York
• 1901:
  
  • -> published a book about poverty based on 2 years research in York.
  • -> contained lots of statistical evidence on wages, work, diet, health and housing of the poor
• Large impact as York was viewed as being respectable, results were shocking

Question 5

Who was David Lloyd George?

Answer 5

• Liberal politician
• Hated the way the Upper Class dominated the Lower Class
• Sympathised ordinary and poor people
• 1908 he became Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Read the works of Rowntree and Booth, felt poverty needed to be tackled
• Aware of Britain’s wealthy and poor divide

Question 6

Who was Winston Churchill?

Answer 6

• Leading conservative, however switched to Liberal when the reforms were introduced (said he supported them)
• 1908, became President of the Board of Trade
• Read the works of Rowntree and Booth, felt poverty needed to be tackled
• Aware of Britain’s wealthy and poor divide

Question 7

What were the living conditions like for the poor in the 1980’s?

Answer 7

• Terrible.
• 1/3 of people lived under poverty line
• People malnourished
• People overworked
• Sanitary conditions abominable
• Diseases everywhere

Question 8

Why did the Liberals introduce their reforms? - Political Motives

Answer 8

• Desire to get Liberals re-elected
• Rivalry with Conservatives
• Rivalry with Labour

Question 9

Why did the Liberals introduce their reforms? - Moral Motives

Answer 9

• Want to do good
• Scale of the problem
• Agreed with social reformers

Question 10

Why did the Liberals introduce their reforms? - Nationalistic Motives

Answer 10

• Want to make Britain a stronger country
• Bohr War, most soldiers were under poverty line and were not fit to fight
• Britain falling behind on industry, workers not fit enough

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           National Efficiency