Key Individuals

Question 1

What was the significance of key individuals, linking to attitudes to the poor?

Answer 1

Society changes lead to attitude changes - causes of change often by free thinking individuals

Question 2

What did Thomas Carlyle publish in 1834, and what did he state in this?

Answer 2

‘Past and Present’ - called workhouses ‘poor law prisons ‘

Question 3

What did Carlyle use poor treatment of the poor to show?

Answer 3

How far removed society has come - gained attention from middle class as increased self realisation of people’s lack of compassion to the poor

Question 4

What did Henry Mayhew do?

Answer 4

Investigated the poor - produced a 2 million word volume work

Question 5

What did Mayhew’s book show?

Answer 5

How insufficient wages had made poor dependent on relied - meant they were unable to save for difficult tikesm

Question 6

What was Mayhew’s investigation the first example of in Britain?

Answer 6

Poor wanting to earn their own way - gained attention from the middle class

Question 7

How as Charles Dickens able to relate to the poor more?

Answer 7

His parents were in workhouses when he was 12 - he had experienced poverty

Question 8

What famous story did Charles Dickens write between 1837-39?

Answer 8

Oliver Twist

Question 9

What did Oliver Twist popularise?

Answer 9

The image that workhouses/Charity were a punishment for those who asked for help

Question 10

What was Oliver Twist able to help realise and think about?

Answer 10

The poor treatment of the poor, forced them to think about the poor more often

Question 11

How was Charle’s Dickens stories able to gain credibility?

Answer 11

Workhouse scandals like Andover showed he had been right

Question 12

How was Charles Dickens able to spread the popularity of his stories, spreading his message?

Answer 12

He publicised serial novels which allowed people to pay 1 shilling a month to read - accessible to majority of the public as affordable

Question 13

What did Elizabeth Gaskell publish in 1848, and what did this show?

Answer 13

Book ‘Mary Barton’ - showed a realistic impression of the lives of the poor - able to create some controversy

Question 14

What did Samuel Smiles publish in 1859, and what was its aim?

Answer 14

Book ‘Self-help’, spoke about the importance of industry, and the determination to prove oneself

Question 15

What was the direct impact of Samuel Smiled book?

Answer 15

Sold 250,000 copies - helped people become successful

Question 16

What did the middle class realise after Samuel Smiles promoted the ‘self-help’ ideology?

Answer 16

This could also be passed onto the poor, they just needed direction to know how to support themselves

Question 17

What did the self-help ideology emphasise?

Answer 17

The potential of each person - most people would accept a chance for self improvement if offered, so opportunities should be offered to the poor

Question 18

What else did the middle-class realise after reading self help?

Answer 18

This Was also how they made money, so poor had potential to make money too as they started off the same

Question 19

What did the self help ideology help to create?

Answer 19

The charity organisation society in 1859

Question 20

Why else did ratepayers see the benefits of self help?

Answer 20

Would be a reduction in their costs overall as poor law relief now cheaper