The Jarrow Crusade Flashcards
What effect did the 1930s depression have on Jarrow?
By 1935, 73% of the working population were out of work.
What happened industry in Jarrow?
The local mine, Hebburn Colliery, closed in 1930. The steel works closed in 1931 this meant the vast majority depended upon Palmers Shipyard for their livelihood.
What was the problem with Palmer’s Shipyard?
The shipyard was too small to build the type of ships that needed to be built.
There were fewer warships being built and unemployment rose from 3,245 in 1929 to 7,178 in 1933.
What happened to Palmer’s shipyard in 1934?
In 1934 Palmer’s was closed. It was announced that no ships would be built there for 40 years.
What effect did the closing of the yard have on Jarrow?
The closing of the yard had a terrible effect on Jarrow. Unemployment reached 80% at one point.
How did the unemployed respond?
On the 20th October 1936 a group of 200 men from Jarrow marched 300 miles to London.
Why did they march?
They wanted parliament to know that they were orderly responsible citizens, but were living in a region where there were many difficulties.
The men were demanding that a steel works be built to bring back jobs to their town.
Who organised the hunger marches?
The Hunger Marches were organised by the National Unemployment Workers Movement (NUWM).
Why was the march called a crusade?
The Jarrow Crusade was called a crusade partly to distinguish their march from those of the NUWM - whose connection with the Communist Party worried the Labour Party.
How did they prepare for the March?
The local political parties and councillors of Jarrow put their differences aside and raised £1,000 needed for the march, enough to give the men some pocket money.
A second hand bus was brought carrying cooking equipment and ground sheets were provided for outside rests
How did they select the marchers?
The marchers were carefully chosen. Women were not invited, men were medically examined and 200 fit men were chosen to march.
How did they march?
Holding blue and white banners, the Jarrow men paraded at 8:45 each morning of their 25 day march. Many marched army style. There was singing led sometimes by Ellen Wilkinson but she did not march the whole way.
What was the Jarrow petition?
The Jarrow petition, signed by 11,000 people from Jarrow, was carried in an oak box with Gold lettering. A further petition was collected along the way.
What was the effect of the march on the public?
The marchers themselves were generally well received and were entertained by sympathisers when they reached London. Despite this their demonstration at Hyde Park corner on 1st November was sparsely attended in comparison with a communist meeting.
What was the effect of the march on the marcher’s and people of Jarrow?
For the marchers the Jarrow Crusade was a failure as few of them got new work for the town and when they returned to Jarrow, they discovered that their unemployment benefit had been stopped as they had not been available for work while on the march!
