1. A Century of Reform
Chapter 11 Section 2

2. Working Conditions
What did Parliament and government try to do in order to make working conditions better for the people?
Working conditions were often dangerous, but Parliament gradually passed laws to regulate factory conditions.
1842- mine owners were forbidden to employ women or children under 10 years old
1847- women and children could not work longer than 10 hours a day
Other laws set minimum wages and maximum hours of work

3. Labor Unions Why do you think labor unions were originally outlawed?
Why are labor unions needed?
Trade unions were made legal in 1825, but strikes were still illegal
Unions spread despite all kinds of restrictions
Between , union membership grew massive, and unions began demanding more laws to better the working conditions

4. Education Why is education important?
Why do you Pennsylvania makes you take Keystone Exams?
Gladstone Education Act called for free elementary education for all children

5. Later Reforms
Disraeli sponsored laws to improve public health and housing for workers in the city
Fabian Society- socialist organization founded in 1883: Promoted gradual change through legal means rather than violence

6. Social Welfare Why are social welfare programs necessary?
Who pays for social welfare programs?
Early 1900s, Britain passed social welfare laws to protect workers with accident, health, and unemployment insurance as well as old-age pensions.

7. Women’s Suffrage
Emmeline Pankhurst, a leading suffragist, used aggressive tactics in getting women rights. They interrupted Parliament speakers, collected petitions, and organized huge public demonstrations
Women went on hunger strikes and resorted to violence in order to be heard
Women over the age of 30 were granted the right to vote in 1918

8. Background What is an absentee landlord?
Many Irish peasants lived in desperate poverty, while paying high rents to landlords living in England
Irish had to pay tithes (taxes to the church) to support the Church of England

9. Irish Nationalism
Why do you think the Irish wanted their freedom from Great Britain?
But if they couldn’t gain their freedom from Great Britain, what is the next best thing to fight for?
Daniel O’Connell Nicknamed “the liberator”
Organized an Irish Catholic League and held mass meetings to demand repeal of unfair laws
1829- Parliament passed the Catholic Emancipation Act: allowed Irish Catholics to vote and hold political office

10. The Great Hunger Give me the two reasons for the Famine.
Give me the two results of the Famine
¾ Irish farmland was used to grow crops that were exported to England under British rule
Potatoes were the main source of food for the Irish, until, in 1845, disease destroyed the potato crop
The Irish went through what was known as “The Great Hunger”
More than 1 million Irish men, women, and children died of starvation or disease

11. Struggle for Home Rule
Its goal was to free Ireland from British rule by force
Charles Stewart Parnell rallied for Parliament to press for home rule (local self-government)
1914 Parliament passed a home rule bill, however, the bill was delayed due to World War I