How did the Industrial Revolution impact on crime and perceptions of crime in the early C19

1. How did the Industrial Revolution impact on crime and perceptions of crime in the early C19?

2. Objectives To identify the main social changes created by the Industrial Revolution in Britain To identify changes in amount/type of crime in early C19 and to explain and evaluate reasons for this To identify and explain changes in Victorian perceptions of crime and criminals 1800-1890 To explore the arguments of historians on these issues.

3. What was the Industrial Revolution? Rapid economic and social change brought about by technological inventions/ changes in agriculture/ manufacturing/ transportation RURAL society changes to URBAN society

4. What did you learn about the trends in Punishment/Prevention 1830-1965? Can you identify on your timeline the main ways you think that attitudes towards how crime should be punished changed? Can you identify how the methods of prevention (e.g police force) developed over this period What are the key turning points? Where is evidence of change and continuity? Now we must try to understand WHY these attitudes changed thus resulting in changes to punishment and policing 1830-1965. Today we will consider origins of this period by looking at impact of the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION on the type of crime committed and attitudes towards criminals in the early C19

5. What can Henry Mayhew’s account of Industrial London reveal to you about the social change from countryside to urban living for the working classes in the C19?Use his account to describe London in 5 adjectives

6. What were the main social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution? Use the sources to build a spider diagram of the main social changes which happened in Britain as result of the Industrial Revolution. For each change can you predict whether you think it would have had led to a change in the amount of crime or type of crime committed/ changing attitudes towards criminals and punishment

7. Source 1: Towns.

8. Source 2: An image of a London Slum in the 1800’s

9. Source 3: Towns ‘The terrible living poverty and living conditions in the slums caused crime and violence. There were parts of most cities where strangers would not dare to go out., especially after dark. Robbery and murder were committed even in the ‘better’ streets. The old village-type of policing was not adequate for the towns’ (From a modern historian)

10. Source 4: Work In 1750 80% of people worked in the countryside. By 1900 80% worked in factories in towns and cities. An account of one weaver from Leicester who was accused of stealing a watch in 1812 revealed how factories had displaced workers by putting people out of work as they sold cloth much more cheaply than those who had made it in workshops at home: ‘I am a poor weaver in distress. I was travelling to Leicestershire, having been to London myself as a poor soldier but I was not tall enough. My parents are poor, my father out of work, and I have 8 brothers and sisters’

11. Source 5: Politics and protest In 1750 only one in eight men had the right to vote in a general election. Demands for change grew (inspired by French Revolution) and many riots and protests occurred over things such as toll roads, food prices, the introduction of new machinery in the early C19. By 1885 nearly all men were able to vote (But not women). As a result governments began to make reforms such as improving housing and health, which would win them votes from ordinary people.

12. Source 6: politics and protest ‘In the Midlands, there was a big cottage industry in knitting. In 1800, a hand knitter could earn up to £1.35 a week. But Factory owners were installing new machines that could make wider cloth. This was then cut up to make stockings – the cottage workers could just not compete; wages fell sharply, while food costs were rising. So the cottage workers fought back. In 1811 organised gangs set about smashing new machines. In one year alone, they destroyed about 1000 of them’ From a modern historian

13. Source 6: Acceptance of government intervention ‘For centuries the British people had resisted the government meddling in local affairs or telling town or rural councils what to do. They had resisted any attempts by the government to raise money. In the early C19 governments were increasingly involved in reforming and changing Britain. Part of the reason was the long French War which had forced the government to raise money Governments were now raising more money in taxes and also allowing local authorities to raise local taxes to such as those paid for by the police.’

14. Main social changes brought about by Industrial Revolution

15. How did the Industrial Revolution impact on the Crime rate in early C19 (up to 1850)?

16. How did the type of crime change? Minor crime still accounted for 75% of all recorded crime. Only 10% involved violence Murderers were rare – victims knew murderer normally. The significance was not so much the increase in crime but rather the increased fear and perception of crime and criminals amongst the Victorian Middle classes and ruling classes.

17. Why did the Crime Rate increase in early C19? For each factor card form your own explanation on why this would have helped to increase Crime Rate. Arrange factors in a web – select which you think would have had the most impact by placing them strategically. Can you identify links between the reasons?

18. How and why did Victorian perceptions of criminals change between 1830 and 1890? The impact of the Industrial Revolution on Victorian Attitudes towards crime and criminals is even more important to understand than the statistical increase in crime that we know probably took place. It is the changing attitudes and perceptions of crime and criminals that led to changes in punishments, the introduction of the police force etc. One half of the class will investigate and feedback on Victorian attitudes towards crime in the early C19. The other half will the same for late C19

20. How would you identify a criminal if you were a Victorian in 1830 and 1890? You are writing a news item for the London Illustrated News in 1830 and 1890. You must create two character ‘criminal profiles’ for a typical criminal (one representing attitudes in 1830 and one representing attitudes in 1890) which will help members of the middle class Victorian public to know what a criminal will look like, how they will act and why they will commit crime! Your editor wants you to present it to him.

21. Homework: 2 or 3 Fruits! To consolidate: Read small extract from Godfrey ‘Crime and Justice 1750-1900’ and make bullet points on his key arguments on how and why the Victorian perceptions of criminals changed between early and later C19 To develop source skills: Read one of the primary sources that interests you the most and summarise what it reveals to you about Victorian attitudes towards crime For extra juicy knowledge: read short chapter from Victorian Underworld on crime amongst the poor in Victorian London – it is a good read!