British Response to the Industrial Revolution Pages

The Poor Laws Britain tried to address poverty Made charity the responsibility of local authorities stated that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law authorities except in a workhouse. Conditions in workhouses were to be made harsh to discourage people from claiming. They did not effectively help end poverty and unemployment

Social Reformers 18 th 19 th Centuries People worried by conditions in factories, mines, slums, and plantations Reformers tried to improve life for the working class Main concern was helping children -Addressed child labour, education, and housing

Ragged Schools Supported by donors Offered free lessons and food to needy children Name reflected children’s clothing

Barnardo Homes Irish Teacher who worked in ragged schools went on to found the Barnardo Homes These homes sent thousands of children to work as servants or farm helpers in Canada and Australia The idea behind this program was that poor children would have a better chance at life in another country

Workers Associations Workers formed associations to look after the interests of its members and influence employers decisions Declared illegal by the pro- business government Upset over -new technology replacing workers -Unsafe working conditions -Abuse by employers

Abolition Movement Slaves, former slaves, social reformers, workers, politicians, and religious leaders worked together to end slavery Asked people to boycott products made by slaves 1807 British parliament passed the Slave Trade Act which made the slave trade illegal throughout the British Empire -Did not free existing slaves

Irish Potato Famine By the 1840s, most Irish peasants grew and ate potatoes as their main source of food -Many were very poor In 1845 the entire Irish potato crop rotted in the fields due to disease Millions of people starved and 1000s were forced to leave their homes Many moved overseas but 4out of 10 died during the journey

Potato Famine Memorial, Dublin.

Clearances in Scotland Part of the policy of enclosure Landlords evicted poor tenant farmers so that they could enclose the land and raise sheep -Homes destroyed to prevent return 1000s of people displaced by the Clearances -Had to find new homes and work -Travelled to large industrial cities and overseas

Factory Acts New laws created to help end some of the extreme negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution First to benefit were children illegal to work children more than 12 hours straight in cotton mills illegal to hire children under 9 to work in the textile industry workers associations made legal