expanded_social_reform_flashcards
(24 cards)
What were ‘Model Trade Unions’ in the mid-19th century?
- Skilled worker unions based on specific trades
- funded by member subscriptions
- offering support during unemployment, illness, or death.
Why were Model Trade Unions considered ‘model’?
They exemplified self-help, liberal values, and moderation, avoiding strikes and promoting negotiation.
What services did Model Trade Unions offer to members?
Support during illness, unemployment, burial costs, and pensions for widows/orphans.
What role did the TUC play in trade unionism?
Formed in 1868 to unite model unions nationally and represent them to employers and government.
What threat did technological modernization pose to Model Unions?
Replaced skilled workers with machines, reducing wages and job security.
What is a ‘closed shop’ and why was it demanded?
A workplace where only union members could be employed, to protect skilled workers’ jobs.
What were ‘blackleg’ workers?
Non-union workers used to break strikes, often leading to lockouts and picketing.
What were the Sheffield Outrages?
Violent responses to blackleg labor in 1866-67, including bombings.
What legal setback did unions face in 1867?
Hornby v Close ruled unions lacked legal status, threatening their funds and existence.
What was the 1868 Royal Commission investigating?
The legal status and regulation of trade unions.
What was the state of education for working-class children before 1870?
Mostly provided by poor-quality, Anglican-run voluntary schools; inaccessible to many, especially Nonconformists.
Why was there resistance to government intervention in education?
Due to popular laissez-faire attitudes and fear of taxation and dependency.
What did the 1858 Newcastle Commission recommend?
Improved state intervention and funding for mass education.
Who led the campaign for free, compulsory, non-denominational education?
The National Education League, dominated by Nonconformists.
Why was the Liberal Education Act of 1870 significant?
It laid the groundwork for elementary education but was limited due to low-tax ideals.
What were Gladstone’s core political beliefs?
- Free trade
- minimal government intervention
- individual liberty
- retrenchment.
How did Gladstone’s religious views affect his politics?
As a devout Anglican, he supported equality and recognized Nonconformists as genuine Christians.
What does ‘retrenchment’ mean in the context of Gladstone’s reforms?
Reducing government spending rather than expanding it.
What was the aim of Gladstone’s administrative reforms?
To promote meritocracy, efficiency, and reduce aristocratic privilege.
What was the message of Samuel Smiles’ ‘Self-Help’?
Individuals should improve their lives through hard work and self-reliance, not state aid.
How did fiscal retrenchment impact social reform?
It limited government spending, reducing subsidies and support in reforms like housing and education.
Did Conservative reforms significantly improve W/C living standards?
Not substantially; they focused on legal rights over material conditions.
What does the rejection of 2/3rds of Boer War volunteers suggest?
That W/C health and conditions had not improved significantly by 1890.
Why is Salisbury seen as opposing One Nation Conservatism?
He resigned over the 1867 Reform Act and did little in terms of social reform post-1885.
