Political effects: protest, unions and reform
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Flip to reveal answersWho were the Luddites and what did they do (1811–1816)?
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All 12 Flashcards — Political effects: protest, unions and reform
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Question
Who were the Luddites and what did they do (1811–1816)?
Answer
Skilled textile workers in northern England who smashed the new machines they blamed for lost jobs and falling wages. Machine-breaking was made a capital crime.
Question
What was the Peterloo Massacre (1819)?
Answer
On 16 August 1819, cavalry charged a peaceful crowd of about 60,000 at St Peter's Field, Manchester, who were demanding the vote. About 15 people were killed. It was mockingly named after Waterloo.
Question
Define 'franchise' in this period.
Answer
The right to vote in elections. Working people and fast-growing industrial cities had little or no franchise before reform.
Question
What is a trade union?
Answer
An organised group of workers who bargain together for better pay and conditions, giving strength in numbers against employers.
Question
What happened to the Tolpuddle Martyrs (1834)?
Answer
Six farm labourers were sentenced to transportation to Australia simply for forming a trade union, causing national outrage over workers' rights.
Question
What was Chartism (1838–1848)?
Answer
The first mass working-class political movement, named after the People's Charter (1838). It demanded the vote and workers' rights through huge petitions, all rejected by Parliament.
Question
Name three of the six demands of the People's Charter.
Answer
Universal male suffrage, a secret ballot, pay for MPs, equal constituencies, no property qualification, and annual parliaments. Five of the six later became law.
Question
What did Marx and Engels argue in The Communist Manifesto (1848)?
Answer
History is a class struggle; under capitalism the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat, who will eventually overthrow them. It criticised industrial capitalism as built on exploitation.
Question
Define proletariat and bourgeoisie (Marx).
Answer
Proletariat = the industrial working class who sell their labour for wages. Bourgeoisie = the middle-class owners of factories and capital.
Question
What did the Factory Act (1833) do?
Answer
Banned children under 9 from textile mills, limited older children's hours, and created factory inspectors to enforce the rules — the first factory law with real teeth.
Question
Compare the Ten Hours Act (1847) and the Public Health Act (1848).
Answer
Ten Hours Act (1847) capped women's and young people's working day at 10 hours in textile factories. Public Health Act (1848) set up boards to improve water, drains and sewers in disease-ridden cities.
Question
Why is 1848 a key year for this micro-topic?
Answer
Two landmark events fell in 1848: Marx and Engels published The Communist Manifesto, and Parliament passed the Public Health Act responding to urban conditions.
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Full study notes for Political effects: protest, unions and reform
Topic 12.3 hub
Impact of industrialization
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