The Making of Modern Britain Flashcards
What did the term Laissez Faire mean?
the government would not provide things like housing, healthcare sickness+unemployment benefits or pensions
What was the problem with slum housing
Dirty drinking water
lack of toilets
damp rooms
rubbish and filth
no sunlight + little ventilation
cramped
This resulted in disease
What did the Poor Law do?
gave poor relief
-money, rent, food, clothes, or the poor house (Scotland)
-Workhouse(England)
Hated
-seen as humiliation
-split up families
What charities helped the poor?
Salvation army
Dr Barnardos
NSPCC
Temperance society (got people off alchohol)
Rich people
-humiliated having to rely on charity
What were Insurance companies and Friendly societies?
encouraged the poor to put small weekly amounts into policies
(sickness or unemployment benefits)
-only rich people could afford this
Name problems of poverty
30% of people lived in it
Slums=disease)
countryside = no water supply
Children who lived left school at young age to provide for families
Name causes of Poverty
Large Families
Death of Breadwinner
Low wages
Disability
Ill Health
Old age
How did the Boer War change attitudes to poverty?
1/3 of recruits were unfit
height limit had to be lowered
-made government aware of ill health
How did Booth and Rowntree change attitudes to Poverty?
1/3 in york and 1/3 in London lived in poverty
the poverty was primary
How did National efficiency change attitudes to poverty?
Britain needed a strong workforce to trade with other countries
How did the Fear of the Labour Party change attitudes to poverty
political parties realized they had to offer support to the working class to help them get votes
How did WW2 change attitudes to Poverty?
Evacuation (mixed classes)
Rationing (sense of sharing) (rich went in poor shoes)
Bombing (community spirit developed) (stories from poor to rich)
Beveridge report
Name the Liberal welfare reforms
Provisions of meals act 1906
Administrative provisions act 1907
Children’s charter 1908
Old age pension act 1908
Nat insurance part 1
Labour exchanges act
Name the 5 giants
Disease
Want
Idleness
Ignorance
Squalor
What labour welfare tackled disease
NHS established 1948
Free doctors and opticians and dentists
Cost millions per month so charges introduced on specs and dental
What labour reform tackled want
Nat insurance act 1948
26 for men
46 for married
Pensions
Not provided to those who were not in work and made no contributions
What labour reform tackled squalor
New towns act 1946
Twelve towns planned
High level of homelessness
What labour reform tackled ignorance
Education act1944
Provided all education until age 15
Afraid to combine academics w less educated ppl
What labour reform tackled unemployment
Nationalisation of industries
Unprofitable industries were given money to keep business running and avoid job losses
Why did Women get the Vote
Sympathetic Politicians
Reward for War work
Campaign for Suffragists (march in edin. showed support)
Suffragettes destroy property
Heckling MP’s (churchill in Dundee)
Which industries were declining
Coal - replaced by electricity
Jute prod. in dundee - businessmen moved production to Calcutta - no need for sandbags
Farming - loss of men to the army and also the loss of many horses, as they too were taken for military service.
Shipbuilding - no longer needed post war
Factory based jobs - lack of Gov. Funding
Decline in Heavy Industries - poor relationship w scotland
Foreign competition - cheap and efficient elsewhere
What did Women do during the war
Textiles - soldier uniforms
Mechanics
Land Army
Munitions Factories - 9000 worked in Gretna
Nurses on front
Ambulance drivers
Train and tram drivers
Solution to Poverty
Poor Law
Voluntary Help
Insurance companies and friendly societies
Suffragettes militant methods
Slash paintings
Smash windows
Set fire to Perth and Ayre race courses
acid on golf courses
Heckle MP’s (Churchill in Dundee)
Henry H Asquith assaulted on Golf course
Chained themselves to important buildings
Threw stones at cars of MP’s
Hunger strikes
What are the Findings of Booth and Rowntree
1/3 of london liove in poverty
1/3 of york live in poverty
Poverty was primary
Rowntree established poverty line
Why did people like the beveridge report
Proposed to help all, not just select groups
remove the means test - seen as humiliating
Identified 5 giants was met with approval of public
Suggestion of NHS
Suggestion of national insurance in the event of unemployment
Introducing pensions was popular among the elderly
What are the Labour Reforms
Education act
New towns
National insurance
NHS
Nationalisation of industries
Changing attitudes to Poverty
Boer war (height limit)
Booth and Rowntree (primary poverty)
National efficiency (strong workforce to trade)
Influence of Germany (they had sick pay-Lloyd George and Churchill wanted that for Britain)
Rise of Labour party (liberals realised they had to offer support from the working class to get votes)
New Liberalism (Lloyd George and Churchill had a want to tackle poverty- gov should intervene)
What percentage of London lived in poverty
30.7%
What percentage of York lived in Poverty
27.8%
Describe the Gov. aattitude to poverty
Laissez Faire
Samuel Smiles
Secondary
If people got help from gov, they would be reliant and lazy
How Suffragettes harmed their cause to gain the vote
Militancy - women got bad publicity
Smashing windows - angered business owners
Emily Davidson - derby incident outraged nation
slashing paintings - upset public
chaining themselves to buildings - nuisance
not supporting war effort - unpatriotic
