2: Industrialisation, protest and reform Flashcards
(58 cards)
great exhibition 1851
more than 100,000 objects
international event but britain took up more than half of the floor space
showed britain’s modernisation, but at a social cost
back to back housing
houses built to share a back and side wall
4 metres wide and one room deep
by 1801, 2/3 of birmingham’s population lived in back to backs
back to back housing health problems
limited natural light and the use of candles/oil lamps worsened respiratory problems
‘back houses’ were even worse. the only natural light came from the communal privy/wash house area. cesspools right outside and no fresh air
sanitation - overcrowding
vast overcrowding
drainage systems inefficient
communal privies emptied into cesspits and often contaminated water supply
sanitation - disease
no understanding about the spread of disease
outbreaks of influenza and cholera common
first major cholera outbreak was in sunderland in 1831 and 32,000 died
when improvements were made to sanitation..
they were mostly centered in the affluent areas, reinforcing the class divide
MC “respectable living”
lived on the more spacious outskirts of town
WC left to create their own communities and distractions in makeshift inns and chapels
separation of two classes developed a distinct class consciousness
attempts to counter lack of WC free space
rare
model towns created - Saltaire in West Yorkshire 1851. Offered better housing and schools
when/where was luddism
nottingham, but spread across the north
1811-1817
luddism methods
after writing threatening letters to their employers, they would break into factories and destroy the machines if their demands were refused.
by 1812, about 1000 frames in nottingham had been destroyed (damage cost £6-1000)
luddism caused which act?
1812 frame breaking act
punishment of death if you were caught breaking a frame deliberately
government were worried that the WC were considering revolution
luddism membership
mainly handloom workers
named after Ned Ludd - a young weaver who destroyed knitting frames
Luddism - william cartwright
brought in soldiers to protect machines at his mill (Rawford Mill)
in 1812, the mill was attacked and 2 luddites were killed
william horsfall
1812
outspoken anti-luddite mill owner shot outside huddersfield
his killers were executed, along with 14 others in 1813
luddite disturbances declining
after william horsfall’s killers were executed in 1813
the movement was effectively over, except for a few isolated outbursts up until 1817
luddism as a turning point
prior to this protests had been largely peaceful
gov couldn’t ignore
when/where swing riots
1830-2
south of england
swing riots cause
hunger politics (2 failed harvests)
and introduction of threshing machines which threatened to take away winter employment opportunities
one threshing machine could do the work of 15 men in one day
swing riots demands
wage increases
rent reductions
end of rural unemployment
swing riots methods
sent threatening letters under the name of captain swing to landowners
burnt hayricks
broke threshing machines
swing riots as a turning point
showed how necessary reform was in the counties
first example of the strength of the rural population during industrialisation - previously considered docile so was a shock to parliament
swing riots first burning
kent
august 1830
caused the movement to spread as far as yorkshire (but mainly in the southern counties)
how many counties saw disturbances of swing riots
16
swing rioters punished
2000 arrested
only 19 executed
because punishment was left to local JPs who lived in their communities and recognised the motivation behind the action
