Questions of the Documents:
What does Bentham mean by "quietism?" Why does he apply it primarily to "governments."
"Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence only increases in an arithmetical ratio." According to Malthus, what are the consequences of this "natural law?"
Define the iron law of wages. Be precise in your terms. How does this "law" reflect Enlightenment thinking?
According to Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham and David Ricardo what primarily motivates human beings? How do they know that?
For Macaulay, what is the cause and source of Britain's rise to wealth in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century?
According to Andrew Ure, what are the new principles employed in administering factories? How do these differ from previous practices?
What strikes you most about living and working condition during this period? Citing specific documents in this chapter, compare your reactions to those of the workers of the time.
What conditions of their labor seemed most intolerable to Charles Burns and other witnesses before the Parliamentary Committee? Would you have complained about other aspects?
How did industrialization affect people in the handicraft trades like the "slop-worker" and "boot-closer?"
To what does Engels attribute the cause of the poor housing conditions in Manchester?
What solutions to their working and living problems do the workers themselves propose? Are these realistic?
Child labor was a central feature of the early industrial revolution. Using the documents in this chapter, list arguments for and against child labor. What factual evidence supports each side?
What audience does Mrs. Trollope hope to reach with her book? What evidence from the text supports your answer.
What audience does M. Villerme seek to influence? How does his writing differ from Mrs. Trollope or Friedrich Engels?
Why did the Great and General Court of Massachusetts reject the petition from Lowell? What factors do they seem most concerned about?
Summarize the arguments of Samuel Smiles concerning the "secret" to achieving wealth and success. What evidence does he cite to support his position?
Chapter Summary Questions:
Terms to Know:
Wealth of Nations, Poor Laws, Malthusian Curve, Ricardo's Iron Law of Wages Progress ,Sadler Committee child labor, Andrew Ure delayed gratification Ten Hour Bill.
Wealth of Nations,
Ricardo's Iron Law of Wages
Ten Hour Bill.
Two Charts of Population Growth
Comparative 19th Century Populations (in 1,000s)
Date France Netherlands Belgium Engl/Wales Scotland Ireland Germany 1801 1821 1841 1861 1881
By what percentage did England's population grow in the last two decades of the 18th century?
From the second chart, what countries have sustained the greatest growth? which ones the least growth? In this period why does one country loose population? Why might the dates for the greatest periods of growth be different from one country to another?