The Economic Effect of the French Wars on Britain Flashcards
1
Q
What became a priority for the Government following the French Revolution of 1798?
A
- Social order, 1799 and 1780 Combination Acts made Trade Unions, machine breaking and Luddism
- On the grounds that these were offences against private property
2
Q
What did the French impose in 1807 and explain why it failed?
A
- The Continental System - an attempt to starve Britains economy
- Smugglers and neutral ships continued to carry goods across the channel and the French themselves suffered from the sanctions
- Br found new export markets in Northern Europe to compensate any slow down in the Med
- Many countries were open to breaking the blockade both in secret and in the open, e.g Sweden, Russia and Portugal
- Exports kept flying out from British factories and mills e.g textiles and re-exporting of goods overseas such as the West Indies, East Indies and India
3
Q
How did the naval blockade cause a war with the USA?
A
- RN had demanded to board and search any ships trading with France
- They did this to an American ship and they banned trade with them and caused a war from 1812
4
Q
What was the effect of the wars on trade?
A
- Trade continued for Britain with dips in exports
- Value of British exports overall rose during the wars whilst exports to Europe doubled between the 1790’s and end of the war
- Trade War died down and in 1812 France allowed trade of colonial items, e.g sugar, cotton and tea
- 1813 trade tariffs meant timber from Canada was a 1/3 cheaper than from other sources
- New Markets were established, e.g Spain, and trade with USA continued
5
Q
What was the effects on the wars on peoples wages?
A
- Wages stagnated between 1796 and 1814
- Low paid were hit by rising food prices, e.g bread
- 1/6 of the county’s male workforce were in the army/navy making it hard for their families especially those who came back unable to work
- Prices did not stagnate making parishes in southern England tie parish relief to bread
- Parish in Berkshire used the Speenhamland System which linked the size of the family and the price of bread in order to determine relief
- Most relief systems died after 1815
6
Q
How much did the French Wars cost Britain and why/how did they fund this?
A
- Cost Br £1,600 million = 10x the 7 years war
- Funded to keep together coalitions + fight the French
- War funded on credit due to Br sophisticated banking systems
- Fear of debt led to increase of taxation to fund the war and investment into the war was steady through the period
- More than 600 banks had appeared by the end of the war
7
Q
What was the effect of the war on farming
A
- Agarian revolution
- Output per worker was 50% higher than other countries
- Farmers benefited from higher wartime prices leading to the Corn Laws which protected home wheat growers from cheap foreign imports
8
Q
How did the agarian revolution boost efficiency on farms?
A
- larger farms with fewer workers
- New crop rotation systems had better use of land rather than leaving fields unplanted
- Selective breeding produced sheep. cattle and pigs that gave more meat and wool
- New machinery such as Meikles threshing machine and lighter ploughs required less horses and men
- Led to the a magazine about agricultural modernisation under Arthur Young
9
Q
Enclosure of farmland
A
- Parliamentary enclosure acts consolidated small landholdings into larger efficient farms
- More than 3,000 acts and smll farmers became landless labourers
- Draining of wet lands to increase amount of land available
- Led to resentment from the poor
10
Q
Change in food production due to restricted imports
A
- Grain continued to be imported but when they were restricted prices rose shaply
- Effect of rise of bread prices was exacerbated by poor harvest in 1809 + 1810
- ## Tropical items, e.g tea, were still imported and consumption only fell slightly
11
Q
Timber and its apparent controversy lolz
A
- Shortage of Timber threatened the war effort
- St Vincent believed that the navy administration was as rotten as the wood on its ships
- Mateys not planting in the royal oak forests just focusing on planting wheat
- St Vincent demanded reform of naval dockyards which alienated the Timber merchants
- Caused beef and Pitt and Melville reversed the policy
12
Q
Industrial Revolution new machines and good impact on textile industry
A
- New machines such as Crompton spinning ‘mule’ and powered looms were used to weave cloths
- Boom in cotton manufacture, by 1918, 337 cotton spinning mules in Br
- Cotton trade continued through the war, through Spain and Portugal
- Textiles mills defied the law and sold to France and made uniforms for the BA
13
Q
Invention during war to improve industry
A
- Industrial lathe by henry Maudslay and an improved power loom by William Horrocks
- Factories in 1807 to make sailing blocls for the RN as the worlds first mass production line
14
Q
Improvement in iron making
A
- Cyfartha Ironworls in South wales 500 tons –> 10,000 tons a year by 1812
- Population of these towns also grew, e.g Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales had 20x more ppl than they did in 1790
- Naval dockyards at Chatham, Portsmouth and Devenport developed new vessels and repaired oold ones
15
Q
Development of canals
A
- New canals in London and hte south and midlands created a more extensive system
- E.g Royal Military Canal in Kent
- Road transport was slow but was improved by better roads maintained by turnpike trusts
