As anyone reading this blog will have noticed, it's been all quiet on this particular front for far too long. A mixture of being busy and a lack of motivation means that i've been radio silent for about 3 months. This is despicable behaviour for which I apologise, and I intend not to let this happen again.
So now to the real business of blogging my notes and observations from a month of HCJ lectures this term.
It's been interesting stuff, and we started off with William Cobbett, Charles Dickens, and a tale of two Revolutions.
The two revolutions in question are the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution, two major turning points in the formation of the modern world. The French Revolution changed the face of European politics, with a variety of political systems implented in a short period. The Industrial Revolution meanwhile completely changed methods of production and distribution of goods, beginning a culture of mass production.
These two revolutions allowed the British Empire to flourish into the great power of the world, however the British Empire almost failed to exist at all, as Scotland attempted Central American colonisation in the late 1600's.
The attempted Scottish colonisation of Darien - New Caledonia was a disaster, with one fifth of Scottish wealth invested in a malarial swamp, where the settlers suffered from starvation and fever, and soon fled. This failure led to a bankrupt Scotland surrendering their sovereignty to England in the 1707 Act of the Union, the first step towards a powerful British Empire.
An attempted uprising at Culloden in 1746 was the final straw for Scotland, defeat by the English resigning them to English rule.
The French Revolution
The French Revolution arrived at the end of the 18th Century, and the UK was incredibly successful throughout, their aboslute naval power allowing blockades of French ports, leading to a boom in British exports as French trade was destroyed. The British even manufactured the uniforms of the French army, such was their industrial dominance. With Europe in turmoil and the armies of other major European powers occupied, Britain set about constructing a worldwide empire, claiming the territories of India, South Africa, Singapore and Sri Lanka, and building a trade monopoly which continued to boost the UK economy. The Transatlantic Triangular Trade was also established, a hugely profitable trade route moving goods and slaves across the world, further compouding Britain's global dominance.
With the end of the war came the end of the boom, the Corn Law was introduced in 1815, placing a tariff on imported grain to protect the UK economy. These laws were widely unpopular, as combined with high unemployment and low wages it made basic food unaffordable for the working classes. The Law was repealed in 1846.
The Industrial Revolution
As unbelievable as it may seem now, in the mid 1800's Manchester was the most important place on earth. It had become the centre of the Industrial Revolution, its population soaring from 17,000 in 1760 to 180,000 in 1830. It became the 'workshop of the world', as Industry thrived and factories appeared in great numbers. Despite the importance of the city it was essentially hell on earth, the quality of life was incredibly poor, with overcrowding, low wages and awful pollution, many fell ill, with cholera common. Such conditions are described often in the work of Charles Dickens, particularly in Bleak House.
Cotton was the key to the revolution, harvested by slaves in the American South, and brought to the UK by the transatlantic triangular trade, it was the raw material used in the mass production factories.
The horrible conditions, combined with a flawed political system caused uprisings and protests, as the people of these newly established great industrial cities sought political representation. Violent repression was utilised by the state to quash such protests, as seen in the Peterloo Massacre and the Tolpuddle martyrs. These tactics were effective in the short term, however the growing dissatisfaction lead to the Reform Act of 1832.
Farming
The idea of landholding peasantry disappeared with the introduction of enclosures. This meant that all farmers became essentially labourers that could be easily transferred from the country to the city, to join the industrial workforce. As the industrial revolution brought advanced technology to farming, workers rioted in the 1830's. With the repeal of the corn laws came cheaper food, however the lower price of bread meant lower wages, as the cost of living decreased.
The Poor
Workhouses were introduced as part of the 1834 Poor Law, which stated no able bodied person was to receive any support from the poor commission outside of a workhouse. These workhouses were developed with a Utalitarian view by Bentham. He believed that as people sought pleasure and avoided pain, the best way to keep the poor from entering workhouses was by making them as repulsive and horrific places to live.
Cobbett - The Rural Rides
Cobbett was an anti-radical who became radical, believing that rapid industrialization was destroying traditional ways of life, observing the plight of 19th Century farmers.
Claimed "When farmers became gentlemen, labourers became slaves."
Opposed the government, the army (whom he had served with) and the Church, as he resented their greed.
Wrote the Political Register, which was read by the working class and had a circulation of around 40,000.
He was imprisoned for sedition and fled to America to avoid further prosecution. On his return he was accused of libel three times.
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