Other reasons for the cause of poverty were socialism, labour, the Boer War, the challenge of Germany and the vote. In the 1980’s socialism gained importance as a political idea. Socialists argued that the country’s wealth should be more equally spread. From 1900 the labour party was founded to represent the working class in Parliament. Labour was a threat to the other other parties at the time.
Between 1899 and 1902 Britain was at war to defend its lands in southern Africa. Half the soldiers who volunteered were found to be unfit. A government committee on Physical Detoration was created to investigate Britain’s lack of health. Germany challenged Britain’s industrial power from1870 onwards, Germany’s rapid development appeared to closely linked to its healthier, better educated and therefore more efficient workforce.
The newly effected government the Liberals decided to pass laws to protect people from the causes and effects of poverty. Because of this the attitudes towards the poor were changed for good. The laws that they passed to help children, the sick, unemployed and the elderly known as the liberal reforms.
History Coursework Q2
In this question I will look at what help was given to the poor. By doing this I will look at Children, the old, the sick and the unemployed.
Help was given to the people before the liberal reforms. There were no real systems of help for children. Families with no children, orphans were looked after in workhouses. The old have to be helped by there own family or the workhouses as well as the sick. The unemployed were mainly helped by outdoor relief; voluntary, labour and exchanges.
For the children the following things were put into act school meals, school medical service and the children’s act. These acts meant that children could get free school meals, annual medical inspection and children could be protected from their parents. The old age had a pensioners act from the liberal reforms. This act meant pensioners were entitled to 25p per week, married pensioners 37 and half pence. You had to be over 70 to be eligible. This act prevented old people from entering the workhouse. The sick had a national insurance act from the liberal reforms; this meant free health care from 1911. The unemployed also had a national insurance act and benefits from the government.
There were limitations to the acts of the reforms. For children, not all got free school meals and the medical check was only for identifying problems not for treatment until after 1912. The old, pensions only applied to the people who earned under 60p a week, also not many people reached the age of 70. The sick, the act was confined to construction jobs, 35p wasn’t a lot of money and the government didn’t want people getting lazy, because of this only 15 weeks cover was given. The unemployed, only people who earn’t less than £160 a year could join and the free medical was only for the worker not for the family.
The liberal reforms, however, needed money to put these acts into power. In 1909 the people’s budget had to tax the rich to give help to the poor and also the House of Lords refused to pass the budget to help the poor. Because of this in 1911 the parliament act lead to the limitation of the power of the House of Lords.
The liberal reforms helped the poor in many ways, they did this by taxing the rich a new idea at the beginning of the twentieth century. The liberal reforms were the first time a government party took direct responsibility for the poor.
History Coursework Q3
In this final question I will look at who helped the poor the most in the years 1834-1914, individuals or the liberal party.
First I will look at the direct help towards the poor including the work or Dr Barnado and William Booth. Dr Barnado lived from 1845-1905 and his place of work was mainly in London and worked as a missionary doctor abroad. Dr Barnado also opened a hostel for the poor children, which led to him caring for children and educating and training them to become labourers. William Booth lived from 1829-1912 and also worked mainly in London. William booth was a missionary along with his wife Catherine and with their combined help they set up 45 missions by 1878 called the Salvation Army.
Secondly I will look at indirect help towards the poor including the work of Henry Mayhew, Charles Booth and Seebohm Roundtree. Henry Mayhew lived from 1812-1887 and his place of work was in London. Henry was a journalist whom investigated the conditions in which the poor lived. Henry collected evidence on the treatment of criminals, trade unions, poverty and social issues. Charles Booth lived from 1840 to 1916 and worked in the areas of Liverpool and London. Charles was and owner of a Liverpool shipping line and he wanted to believe that the pamphlets produced about the poor weren’t true and he tried to prove otherwise. Charles published 17 books in total and he proved that more that 30 per cent of London’s population lived in poverty. He said that the problem is caused by low wages, casual work and trade depressions. Seebohm Roundtree lived from 1871-1954 and his place of work was in London. The Roundtree family had the reputation of making chocolate and caring for employees. Seebohm showed that poverty hits hardest in infancy and that the lives of the poor were extremely precarious.
Thirdly I will look at the liberals and conduct a conclusion, the liberal party was a good invention of the twentieth century. The liberal reforms focused on the poor and the labourers who needed attention because of their poor working conditions, wages and lifestyle. The poor and the labourers had been ignored by the general public. Individuals helped but in a minimal way and who didn’t have the power to help the nation. The liberal party did however had national power and could change the way the country was thought about and run. In a conclusion I would say that the Liberal Reform’s helped the poor the most because unlike individuals who only helped the poor within the city of London the Liberal Reforms helped the nation.
