French and Industrial Revolution

The return of HCJ...

French Revolution was the turning point in European Politics

There were two empires, the British Empire and the Great Scottish Empire. In 1707 the Act of Union joined England and Scotland after they surrendered sovereignty. Scotland was financially and psychologically knackered after it did not recover from its disastrous attempt of setting up a coloney in Central America in 1698. They also tried in Darien, New Caledonia, which cost Scotland one fifth of their wealth. It left the place in a malarial swamp where settlers suffered from fever and starvation so they soon fled. 

England did well to recover from the French Revolution despite the introduction of Income tax in 1799 to pay for the war effort. The British Naval Power was absolute and the blockades of the French ports destroyed french trade and created a boom for British exports. The British even manufactured the French Armies clothing and uniform! The other European armies were occupied, so the British started building its empire. 

The Transatlantic Triangular Trade -  This was greatly profitable for Britain. It came in the form of cotton, sugar and slaves. In 16th Century 1 million slaves transported from Africa to America, In 17th Century 3 million and in 18th century 7 million. 

The end of the war signaled the end of the boom. This caused widespread unemployment, causing a significant drop in wages. Therefore the government brought in the Corn Laws which put a tarrif on imported grains.

Industrial Revolution transformed Britain and the World

Manchester City was classified as Revolutionary, it was something that had never been seen before. Between the years of 1760 - 1830 the population shot up from 17,000 to 180,000. Manchester was the center of the industrial revolution, but it was hell on earth, there was desperate pollution and people suffered from illnesses such as chest infections and rickets. Cotton was a key raw material in the industrial revolution, it came from the slave plantations in the American South. 

Policy of Enclosure - Landowners had to expand fields because of new and bigger machinery. It used to be 'common land' where there was an open area for local villagers who could use the land for their livestock. This gave small farmers the opportunity to sustain a livelihood keeping them above the breadline. However, thousands of other farmers were left landless and therefore driven in to cities such as Manchester, causing a population boom that they struggled to deal with.
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Peterloo Massacre - This took place in the year 1819, which was a period of intense political pressure. Less than 2% of the population could vote, and the fact Village old Sarum had 11 voters and two MP's whilst larger cities such as Manchester and Leeds had none, was evidently a sign of political corruption. Around 60,000 protesters demanding parliamentary reform were charged at by a cavalry (soldiers on horseback). As a result hundreds suffered serious injuries as they were cut and trampled over, and 11 people died.  

New Poor Law Act 1834 - This act stated that no able bodied person was to receive money or any other form  of help from the poor law authorities except in a workhouse. However, conditions were made extremely harsh in Workhouses, and they would have to work long hours, this was to discourage people from wanting to receive help. 

Bentham's utilitarianism was the theory of happiness as pleasure in the absence of pain, this explains that what people see at first as appealing e.g claim benefits through working in a workhouse, may in fact not be. We judge our actions by their consequences by favouring those that promote our happiness and reduce pain.