What social impact did war have on Britain from 1802-1812?

Question 1

What is the historical debate surrounding the social impact of war?

Answer 1

• some historians argue that the negative impacts of war were outweighed by the continued economic growth of the time
• however, these views do not take into account the distress of the labouring population, who could not afford basic necessities and were starving

Question 2

How did the war impact the middle class?

Answer 2

• brought more economic success for industrialists, who owned the factories of thriving industries
• businessmen become more open to the idea of reform due to the threat to business posed by the ‘orders in council’
• economic crisis of 1810 and 1811 meant that some suffered

Question 3

What brought distress to the labouring population of 1810-1811?

Answer 3

• bad harvests
• economic crisis of 1810 and 1811
• high food prices
• unemployment

Question 4

What happened in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottingham and Derby during this period?

Answer 4

• demand for uniforms meant that the textiles industry thrived but hand workers were left behind
• caused unrest in these manufacturing districts

Question 5

What did the unrest in manufacturing districts become associated with in 1811?

Answer 5

• Luddites

Question 6

What did handloom weavers petition for?

Answer 6

• Minimum wage bill

Question 7

Why was there serious rioting in 1808?

Answer 7

• Minimum wage bill was rejected
• riots only ended once employers agreed to rise wages for weavers

Question 8

Why did prices rise in 1811 until 1814?

Answer 8

• inflation as the Bank of England continued to issue too many bank notes
• poor harvests = high food prices
• wages had fallen behind prices so those on fixed incomes struggled
• rural workers were starving

Question 9

Who benefitted from the high prices of 1811-1814?

Answer 9

• landowners and farmers as rents and profits rose

Question 10

How did wheat prices change?

Answer 10

• 1793: 47 shillings a quarter
• 1812: 126 shillings

Question 11

Who were three radical thinkers in the 19th century?

Answer 11

• Jeremy Bentham
• William Cobbett
• Frances Burdett

Question 12

What were the ideas of Jeremy Bentham? What was his impact/ the significance of his ideas?

Answer 12

• utlitarianism: happiness for everyone through government intervention
• wide suffrage, including women
• reform of marriage laws so divorce was more accessible
• decriminalisation of homosexuality
• ideas more popular in USA and Europe
• the fame of his writings spread rapidly
• in the 1830s, Whigs used his works to move towards democracy

Question 13

What where the ideas of William Cobbett? What was his impact/ the significance of his ideas?

Answer 13

• 1802: created the Political Register (newspaper then pamphlet)
• had a circulation of 40,000 readers
• campaigned against newspaper tax and the government’s restriction of free speech
  
  • in the long term, advocated for more features of democracy
• drew attention to 1834 Poor Law
• was an elected member of the Commons; reflected public opinion
• his newspaper was the main one read by the working class = incited more ideas

Question 14

Who was Francis Burdett? What was his impact/ the significance of his ideas?

Answer 14

• refused to join the Whigs or Tories; acted as independent
• opposed the suspension of Habeas Corpus in 1797
• fair elections
• criticised the government’s attempts to suppress personal freedom
• supported attempts to expose government corruption
• strong advocate of religious toleration
• radicals in London asked for him to stand for them ; reflected public opinion
• supported Parliamentary Reform: Catholic Emancipation (1829) and Reform Act (1832)