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British Reform Movement A reform movement is an attempt to bring about change. This change is usually a gradual one, which separates it from a revolutionary movement that happens suddenly. Some reform movements this article will discuss include: Urban reform Parliamentary reform (voting rights) Chartist reform Working Conditions and Child Labor Trade Unions The British reform movement did not occur because of one issue. The reformers of the 19th century dealt with reforms such as inequality in government, voting rights, unfair legislation, and urban health. With this in mind, the reform movements of this time can be considered responses to the changes spurred on by the new industrialization. However, one of the most enduring societal changes that occurred during this reform was the shift of political power. Through changes in parliamentary representation and the expansion of voting rights, the workers were gaining a voice in the government. This began a gradual shift from a government based entirely on the influence of wealthy landowners to one that considered the struggles of everyone in society. Urban Reform One of the earliest areas of reform was a response to the unclean and dangerous living conditions in industrial cities. The reason we know about the appalling conditions in the industrial cities is due to the work of social investigators. For instance, by observing the dirty appearance and stunted growth of child laborers, many reformers began to ask why. Why did working children appear to be smaller and more prone to illness than non-working children? How did this represent a danger to society? In response, activists jumped to action in various ways. Many reformers were from wealthier families. They viewed the problems of the poor as threats to their own lifestyle. For instance, the rising rates of crime and outbreaks of disease had the potential to make their lives more difficult, as well. One example was cholera, a deadly disease that had been affecting European cities in the 1830s and 1840s. Because the disease became more prominent in the overcrowded cities, wealthy city dwellers began to call for reform, too. Since the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, the social problems created by this change were observed by British reformers early on. Edwin Chadwick was a reformer with a background in law. He was most noted for his work with the Poor Law Commission. During this time, he initiated a three-year investigation into the living conditions of Britain's working class. His work culminated in a thorough Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain in 1842. He reached many conclusions, such as that pollution and overcrowding explain the rampant disease outbreaks in the industrial cities. In his report, he stated, 'That the annual loss of life from filth and bad ventilation are greater than the loss from death or wounds in any wars in which the country has been engaged in modern times.' His report was essential in influencing Parliament to pass the Public Health Act of 1848. This act attempted to reform the sanitation systems in cities throughout Britain. The specific changes called for in the Health Act included improved sewage systems and filtering systems for the purification of water supplies. The Public Health Act of 1875 forced all town officials to pave, light, and clean town streets as well as appoint a Medical Officer of Health and a Surveryor and Sanitary Inspector to advise local authorities on problems with sewage, water supplies, diseases, food, and housing conditions. Parliamentary Reform During the Industrial Revolution, many workers were faced with severe poverty. They were unable to leave this desperate situation because they had no political power in England. Wealthy male landowners were the only people who had any political impact because they were the only people with the right to vote and elect lawmakers to Parliament. With the exception of a few reformers, the upper class were mostly out of touch with the struggles of the workers and their families. At this time, Britain had two major political parties. The Tories were mostly members of the aristocracy, and the Whigs were mostly wealthy merchants. The makeup of the government also favored the landowners. For instance, the House of Lords was made up of aristocrats who served for life, and the House of Commons was made up of landed aristocrats, industrialists, and merchants. Change finally occurred in 1830 when the Whigs gained a majority and introduced the Reform Bill of 1832. The Reform Bill did the following: It redistributed the districts to reflect population changes, giving more seats in Parliament to urban (city) districts It changed voting qualifications, which expanded voting rights to middle-class men, allowing approximately 20% of the population to vote. Chartists Demand More Political Reform The Chartist reform movement wanted to gain universal suffrage, or the right to vote for everyone. However, everyone was simply another term for all male citizens, as women were not part of this particular push for voting rights. This movement was labeled 'Chartist' because it was based on a document called The People's Charter drafted by William Lovett in 1838. This text called for the following demands to be met: The right of all men over 21, as long as they weren't insane or criminal, to vote (making working class men eligible to vote) Electoral districts were equally represented To end all property requirements in order to run for office in Parliament Annual elections Voting done in secrecy After circulating the document, Chartists secured almost 250,000 signatures. However, the House of Commons still rejected the terms in 1839. And after several Chartist leaders threatened a general strike, they were arrested. Other Chartists marched on the prison where the men were being held. Troops guarding the prison opened fire on the Chartists, killing 24 and wounding many others. The Charter was circulated again, this time gaining three million signatures. The House of Commons still rejected the terms in 1842 and again in 1848. The Chartists ended their campaign after the third rejection. Now, since the Chartists never immediately achieved their goals through their strikes and petitions, why was this movement important? Well, because the civil unrest and protests from this movement did eventually influence Parliament to expand voting rights in the Reform Act of 1867, allowing men of working class origins to vote by eliminating property restrictions. Once the working class had the right to vote, this paved the way for many other social and economic reforms, so that by the end of 1878, most of the Chartist demands had been met by the passing of new laws. Working Conditions and Child Labor Although the Reform Bill of 1832 failed to provide factory workers with a vote or any political power, the conditions under which they worked and lived did become a political issue the following year. A member of the House of Commons, Michael Sadler (1780–1835) held hearings in 1832 to highlight the working conditions of children in particular. Even though he lost an election and was no longer a member of Parliament, he published the results of his hearings in 1833 anyway. The published report included the testimony of child factory workers, who told of long hours, low pay, and dangerous working conditions, especially in textile mills. The Sadler Report caused a public outcry. Some of Sadler’s critics faulted him for asking leading questions phrased in a way to elicit the sort of answers he wanted to hear. Sadler's supporters, on the other hand, focused on the fact that children worked for twelve or more hours a day with little rest and barely enough time to eat. And while some factories might have adopted more humane policies, many others were guilty of abusing children, just as Sadler documented. For decades afterward, the testimony of these young workers would be cited as an illustration of how greedy factory owners exploited children. Even though Sadler no longer had a seat in Parliament, his report helped pave the way to legislation (laws) that regulated the conditions under which factories could employ children. Lord Ashley (Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1801–1885), a British Parliamentarian, was instrumental in persuading Parliament to pass the Factory Act of 1833, which set standards for employment of children in textile factories. His support for this act was grounded in Sadler’s report. The act required that children aged thirteen to eighteen could not be employed more than twelve hours a day, during which ninety minutes had to be allowed for meal breaks. Younger children, aged nine through twelve, could only work for nine hours a day, and no child could work between 8:30 P.M. and 5:30 A.M. This act was bitterly opposed by many factory owners, but other acts followed that imposed even more regulations on the working conditions in factories. The Coal Mines Act of 1842 prohibited the employment of women and boys younger than 10 from working in mines. As decades followed, workers pressed for more rights and safety conditions in factories to be improved. Later Factory Acts limited the working hours of children and women to a 10 hour day maximum and ordered that factory owners fence machines to improve safety in order to prevent accidents. The Education Act of 1870 required that all towns to make primary education be available to all children between the ages of 5- 13. By 1874, 5,000 new schools were built in Britain. Parents still had to pay for education for their children, but low income students could get government assistance. The Education Act of 1880 made school compulsory (required) for all children up to age 10 and in 1891 it was made free. Trade Unions One of the most influential and lasting means by which workers tried to improve their lives was the trade union. The essential idea of unions was that while a single worker had no influence over a factory owner—one worker could easily be dismissed and replaced by another—all of the factory's workers acting together could unite and disrupt a factory's smooth operation by refusing to work unless their demands were met. In response to early efforts by workers to unionize for better pay, hours, or working conditions, England passed laws as early as 1799, called the Combination Acts, that outlawed such worker associations and unions. In 1817 Parliament passed the Gagging Acts, which outlawed meetings of more than fifty people, and in 1819 Parliament passed a series of laws aimed against popular discontent. The acts of 1819 banned meetings for purposes of training (as for a popular militia, for example) and increased the penalties for speeches or articles thought to be blasphemous (against religion) or seditious (antigovernment or laws). Organizing labor unions often fell into these categories. Despite restrictions, workers still attempted to form unions. In 1824, amidst growing concerns about worker revolts, the British Parliament legalized trade unions, but it still remained illegal to strike. In the next 50 years, union membership expanded tremendously, despite a lack of government support and employer efforts to limit their growth. In 1870, British unions finally won the right to strike, without being held legally liable for the financial damage inflicted on employers. Through labor unions, workers were able to join together and negotiate with their specific employers for improved working conditions, pay, and hours. In 1900, union members and socialists formed a new political party in Britain called the Labour Party. This Labour Party and its union supporters pressured Parliament to pass various social welfare laws to protect the well-being of the poor and disadvantaged. Examples of such laws include the Old Age Pension Act of 1908 which provided low income workers with retirement pay of 5 shillings/week, and the National Insurance Act of 1911 which provided workers with accident, health, and unemployment insurance. Article Citation: Cappine, Patricia. "The British Reform Movement: Social, Political & Economic Reforms." Education Portal. Education Portal, Aug. 2011. Web. 5 Jan. 2015. British Reform Movement As you read the article take notes on: What specific reforms (changes) were made in the areas of urban reforms, Parliamentary reforms, Chartist reforms, working conditions and child labor, and trade unions. o Cite the names of specific laws, their relevant dates, and the changes called for by the laws Reasons why reforms were finally made: Urban reforms Parliamentary Reforms Chartist reforms What Chartists wanted (goals): * * * * * How Chartists attempted to get these goals met/actions they took: Reform Act of 1867: Working Conditions and Child Labor Reforms Trade Unions Parliaments Anti-union laws 1799- Combination Acts= 1817- Gagging Acts= 1819 laws= Victories for unions 1824= 1870= Labour Party- what groups of people supported this political party? What are two laws the Labour Party was able to get passed to help workers? * *