How significant was the role of individuals in the changing for the poor between 1780 and 1850

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How significant was the role of individuals in the changing for the poor between 1780 and 1850

Between 1780 and 1850 there were many changes in provision for the poor. Factors that influenced change include: riots, individuals, urbanisation and the failure of the poor law. These all helped the change in provision for the poor. All the factors highlighted the need for change within poor provisions, however not all these factors had any long term effect on provisions for the poor, some did influence provisions indirectly and it can be sometimes difficult to understand the links between the actions of certain events and changing provisions. Urbanisation was one of the main reasons poverty came to light in this time period due to the fact that increasing amounts of paupers were migrating into the city; consequently the rich and government members were starting to see poverty on their doorstep. Riots arguably influenced change as they highlighted problems with the oppression of the poor, showing the rich that the poor were beginning to stand up against the injustice they had been suffering over the previous decades. Individuals like Bentham and Owen had revolutionary views on poverty that undoubtedly influenced the government and how they treated the lower classes. I am now going to discuss the successes and failures for helping the provisions for the poor of these three groups in greater detail, and ultimately evaluate the which of group had the most influence on change in provision for the poor and not just which group had the largest positive effect.

Owen was a collectivist and so believed in the government taking full responsibility for the poor therefore offering a solution to poverty - not just a way to remove them from the public eye. Owen purchased four textile factories in New Lanark for £60,000. His main priority wasn’t for the business to make a profit but believed that a person’s character was formed by the effects of their environment. He made an institutionalized community that reduced labour to 10 hours a day and employees had to go to school for part of the day, he also didn’t employ children under the age of 10 as they were busy building character. Owen realized that a happy/educated and healthy workforce gave the best results in his business. It is debatable whether Owen only educated and gave good hours to his workers for profit maximisation or whether he genuinely believed in helping the poor, either way he did show that offering a fair days work for a fair wage didn’t necessarily prevent businesses from prospering. He was the main influence on the wool and cotton factories at of 1819 stating no children under the age of 9 could work there. Owen clearly proved his revolutionary views in new Lanark but his methods and ideas didn’t spread outside of New Lanark, the reason for this is that many business men didn’t share his ideas and thought of it as a burden to a business. This shows that his impact was minimal in alleviating poverty within Britain, and I believe that he probably actually had little to no influence on the change in provision of the poor. Some historians argue that Owen influenced the poor law amendment act in 1834, however after reading the deatils of this Act I don’t think he had much influence on the act as his revolutionary views on took place in new Lanark and didn’t spread through the rest of Britain. The rich also hated him because he was educating the poor so it is unlikely they would have used his views in the Poor Law Amendment Act (PLAA).

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Another individual who helped the poor was Edwin Chadwick; he was a utilitarian thus sharing Bentham’s view on ensuring the greatest happiness for as many as possible.

He was a social reformer and tried to improve public health in Britain, however his aim in this was to make poor relief cheaper for the government therefore lowering taxes and ultimately benefiting his pocket. Even though he may have had not the most ethical motives for his work he still did do a lot to change provision for the poor. In 1833 the royal commission appointed him ...

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