Social Reform and Poverty Awareness Flashcards

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Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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In 19th-century Britain, what does the term “social reform” mean?

Social reform means changing laws and attitudes to improve people’s lives. It often aimed to reduce poverty, bad housing and poor working conditions.

What were living conditions like for many poor people in industrial cities in the late 1800s?

Many poor people lived in crowded slums. Homes were small, damp and often shared toilets and water taps, which led to disease.

Who was Charles Booth and what did he do about poverty?

Charles Booth was a rich businessman from Liverpool who studied poverty in London. He organised a huge survey of London’s people and mapped their living conditions.

What did Charles Booth’s poverty survey show about London?

Booth found that about 30% of Londoners lived in poverty. His coloured maps showed whole areas where people were very poor or even “very poor, casual” workers.

Who was Seebohm Rowntree and what did he discover in York?

Seebohm Rowntree was a chocolate factory owner in York who studied poverty in his city. He found that around 28% of people in York were living in poverty.

What is meant by the term “poverty line” in Booth’s and Rowntree’s studies?

The poverty line is the minimum income a family needs for basic food, rent and clothing. If a family earned less than this, they were counted as living in poverty.

How did Booth’s and Rowntree’s work change ideas about the causes of poverty?

Their surveys showed that most poor people were not lazy. They were poor because of low wages, unemployment, sickness or old age, so many people began to think the government should help.

What is the Salvation Army and how did it help poor people?

The Salvation Army is a Christian group set up in 1865 to help the poor. It gave cheap food, beds, religious support and tried to help people find work.

What was Toynbee Hall and why was it important for poverty awareness?

Toynbee Hall was a settlement house in East London where middle-class students lived among the poor. They ran clubs, classes and meetings, and then wrote and spoke about what they had seen.

How did social reformers spread awareness of poverty to the wider public?

They wrote books and reports, spoke at public meetings and used newspapers and pamphlets. This helped more people learn about the real conditions in slums and factories.

How did growing awareness of poverty help lead to government reforms in the early 1900s?

Evidence from Booth, Rowntree and groups like the Salvation Army convinced many that poverty was a national problem. This helped push the Liberal government to bring in welfare reforms such as old-age pensions and free school meals.

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