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What was motivating the need for political change in the 19th Century?

By the end of the lesson1.All be able to describe some of the reasons for change2.Most of you will be able to explain the reasons change was needed3.Some of you will be able to weigh up why some reasons were more significant than others

You are going to be completing a round robin task researching the following aspects of life in

the 19th Century

• Living conditions – houses, food, sanitation, life expectancy

• Technology and transport• Growth of towns and migration (population

growth)• Working conditions and places of work• Unemployment and industrialisation- Luddites,

workhouses• Education Make notes in a table, use mind maps

or bullet points and sub headings.

A survey conducted in 1780 revealed that the electorate in England and Wales consisted of just 214,000 people - less than 3% of the total population of approximately 8 million Although the population of the country as a whole was rising at an unprecedented rate, that of the towns and cities was increasing by leaps and bounds. This was due to the effects of the industrial revolution; people were flocking into the towns and cities in search of employment

The factory Type of employme

nt

Number of women

employedDomestic

Servants 1,740,800

Teachers 124,000Nurses 68,000Doctors 212

Architects 2

Large numbers of both skilled and unskilled people were looking for work, so wages were low, barely above subsistence level. If work dried up, or was seasonal, men were laid off, and because they had hardly enough to live on when they were in work, they had no savings to fall back on.

Children were expected to help towards the family budget. They often worked long hours in dangerous jobs and in difficult situations for a very little wage.

Large industrial cities like Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester did not have a single MP between them, whereas 'rotten boroughs' such as Dunwich in Suffolk (which had a population of 32 in 1831) were still sending two MPs to Westminster.

Girls received less education than boys, were barred from universities, and could obtain only low-paid jobs. Women's sole purpose was to marry and reproduce.

Most lived in a state little better than slavery. They had little choice but to obey men, because in most cases men held all the resources and women had no independent means of subsistence.

Girls received less education than boys, were barred from universities, and could obtain only low-paid jobs. Women's sole purpose was to marry and reproduce.

Work house inmates

What can you learn from these song words about what is going on in Tolpuddle in Dorset?

Water and sanitationWater, a necessity for life, was also the cause of many problems in the past. Traditionally water came from rivers, wells and pumps. Overstretched and polluted the water supplies became unhealthy. Good clean water resources were unreliable, even for the wealthy. Personal hygiene developments brought a new demand for water, cleanliness became much more important. After 1880 Compulsory education encouraged children to wash more regularly. Industrial water requirements were also growing. Cholera epidemics came in 1831-2, 1848, 1854 and 1866 which underlined the need for healthy water and good sewerage treatment. The two campaigns for good water supplies and sewerage became one great mission for reformers. Problems in 1858 in London (around Parliament and dismaying MP's- 'The Great Stink") spurred on developments. Bazalgette's sewerage scheme for London was copied throughout the Country. Fresh water supplies came later to replace water carts and other newer sources of expensive fresh water. Municipal Politicians like Joseph Chamberlain campaigned for Municipal control of water and gas supplies, with profits going into Municipal 'grand projects' like art galleries, museums etc., This campaign was only partly successful as in 1897 there was still 346 private water companies to 614 municipally controlled ones. Public baths and laundries were built. People had become cleaner and healthier yet ironically enjoyed visits to seaside resorts where there were still sanitation problems caused by rapid development.

HealthVictorian society changed from mainly rural based in 1837 to mainly urban based in 1901. Filthy and unhealthy cities developed. Slowly improvements in environmental health brought improvements in public health. Health problems brought the founding of the Central Board of Health and 1200 local boards in the 1830's. Great problem deceases like, TB, Typhoid, Measles, Whooping Cough, Scarlet fever, pulmonary and stomach complaints abounded. Medicine was rare and costly, herbs and folk medicines were important. In this period medical training was revolutionized, professionalised and nursing became respectable. Hospitals were built separate to the workhouses where traditionally they were connected. Vaccination spread and was made compulsory by Acts of 1853 and 1869, repealed though in 1898. The overcrowded old church graveyards were closed and new burial grounds were open, many run by private companies. Victorian poor (about a third of population) still suffered many health problems caused by poor domestic circumstances in 1901. Public parks in Urban areas were created bringing green spaces to ameliorate urban building developments. Yet a lot of coal was burned in Cities and towns leading them to look dark and filthy, for air to be unclean and smog to be a major problem to health.

Law and orderAny decline in religious observance and belief during this period was assumed to be the reason for law and order problems. Yet, society at the end of Victoria's reign was much more stable and claims are made that this society was very religious. During the Century population growth led to law and order problems in cities, the local social control of a small population was difficult to apply with larger urban populations. There was a growth in radical political campaigns for wider democracy. To fight lawlessness the Police were founded in 1829 in London and through Acts of Parliament 1829-1856 developed Nationally. Initially made up of ex-soldiers and military they developed in professionalism throughout the Century. Any failures in individual officers were soon highlighted by the local newspapers. Prisons were reformed and transportation to Australia stopped in 1867. Humanitarian Campaigns and Utilitarian thinkers (like Jeremy Bentham) encouraged the building of new prisons (still unfortunately with treadmill and crank). General improvements in work and personal disciplines led to improvements in the observation of law and order. After 1880 compulsory education improved social discipline. Economic improvements helped make the Country more peaceable.

EducationBy 1901 Literacy had become widespread and education highly regarded as important for keeping society together. People were regulated by written instructions so were expected to be literate. Education was originally conducted by charity or workhouse based schools for many children. 'Public Schools', misnamed private establishments educated few. There were many small village schools run by a 'literate' local person. Sundays schools had originally been the important source of education for the working classes but they could not meet the need for proper literacy. There were sectarian problems in educational developments, but educational Parliament Acts allowed for school developments and state involvement. The 1880 Act allowed for elementary education for 5-10 year olds. The system allowed for children to be educated to accept their place in society. Educational projects became more respectable, whilst mechanics institutes educated working men, museums and Art Galleries fed inspiration to citizens, but failed to reach most working class people.People read books (sometimes from lending libraries and reading rooms making 'superstars' of some authors), periodicals, magazines, newspapers and comics. Some major literary works of the time were influenced by their original periodical form New types of books developed for train reading. Printing and publishing developed and an educated working class found for the first time that it could communicate with itself, develop new ideas and join new workers groups. New training could take place for the new technical innovations that were coming into being in science and industry.

Political change was needed because…

Add link lines and explanations!

What was motivating the need for political change in the 19th Century?

Now check you have:1.described some of the reasons for change2.explained the reasons change was needed3.weighed up why some reasons were more significant than others