The Merthyr Rising june 1831

Question 1

What were the social causes of the Merthyr rising?

Answer 1

*extremely poor living conditions there was no fresh water and scum conditions developed diseases like Cholera caused a high death rate + there was no rubbish collection or sewage and all watercame from the
river
* poor working conditions iron works and coal mines were dangerous and expected to work 12 to 13 hours 7 days a week

Question 2

what were the economic causes of the Merthyr Rising?

Answer 2

• there was an economic depression from 1829 which lead to a cut in wages increased unemployment and rising prices
  -The truck system were shops owned by iron company owners and would pay wages in ‘tokens’ that could only be spent in company shops
• the court of requests allowed bailiffs to seize goods on behalf of creditors to repay debts

Question 3

What were the radical cause for the merthyr rising?

Answer 3

Influence of radicalism from the French revolution if July 1830

Question 4

What were the events of the Merthyr rising?

Answer 4

Workers seized control of the town for a fill week. Large groups marched the streets with parliamentary reform bands soaked in cows blood as a symbol of workers insurrection
Shops were broken into, account books containing debts destroyed and goods collected by bailiffs returned
Troops arrived on the 4th of June and it took ab 400-600 men to disperse the rising

Question 5

What were the results of the Merthyr Rising?

Answer 5

• anti-truck Act 1831 outlawed the system
• merthyr became the center for the chartism movement
• United the Welsh working class through shared goals and a clear identity

Question 6

What was the govs response to merthyr rising ?

Answer 6

*28 ring leaders were arrested most importantly Richard Lewis who was executed in August 1831 to be made an example of but he became a martyr
*troops sent by the gov remained in merthyr for another 2 years to maintain order