'Two Britains' - The Poor Britain

Question 1

Poverty/Diet:

Answer 1

• In Stockton On Tees in the 1930’s, the weekly income of an employed family was £1.46 per week
• Unemployed families had to resort to buying cheaper food which led to malnutrition
• In 1936, John Boyd Orr found that 1/10 of all e population was seriously undernourished including 1/5 of all children

Question 2

Health/Housing:

Answer 2

• Poverty and poor diet led to high infant mortality rate and poor health for children
• Men working 16 hours a day- exhausting and in poor conditions
• Scarlet Fever was an epidemic in South Whales at the time of the depression, being passed on due to poor health and hygiene

Question 3

Women:

Answer 3

• First to loose their jobs
• Women and children were not covered for medical treatment by National Insurance
• Many women sacrificed their own health by giving food and medicine to their children as priority
• Poor nutrition during pregnancy meant more women died in childbirth
• Women were forced to ‘make ends meet’ as the men lost their rol of breadwinners (breadwinner is someone who supply’s for the family)
• Poor nutrition meant they were more susceptible to disease

Question 4

Psychological Effects:

Answer 4

• A lot of mental suffering:
• Mass unemployment was a human tragedy that led to e loss of dignity and a sense of hopelessness
• Whole communities were depressed and depressing places to live in
• Unemployed men felt guilty not being the breadwinner and lost their self respects and self esteem

Question 5

Hunger Marches:

Answer 5

• During the 1930’s, as well as local protests, there were many protest marches from the North-East of England and South Whales
• The people in these areas became more militant because they had been experiencing high levels of unemployment, poverty, malnutrition and disease for some time
• Marches to London were organised to confront the government and in doing so, gain much needed publicity.
• It was hoped that the media would report their story and highlight their plight

Question 6

The National Hunger March:

Answer 6

-Another march in October 1932 took place where 2,500 workers marched to London and presented a petition to Parliament demanding the abolition of the means test and protesting about the 10% cut in benefits

Question 7

The Jarrow Crusade Information:

Answer 7

• 450 kilometres
• 22 stages
• 200 men marched from Jarrow to London
• Led by former communist and MP, Ellen Wilkinson and town councillors

Question 8

How successful was the Jarrow Crusade?

Answer 8

• The NUWM (National Unemployed Workers Movement) opposed the Jarrow March
• The March made the Labour Party have bad publicity
• Petition presented to the House of Commons demanding that a steel works be built to bring jobs back to their town, as Palmer’s Shipyard in Jarrow was closed the previous year leaving 70% of Jarrow unemployed
• However, the government were not stirred and no action was taken
• The march gained publicity- public offered soup kitchens and accommodated the marchers in local schools