HCJ2 - Seminar 1.

Before I go into 'Rural Rides' and Cobbett, here's a short introduction, or look at my notes from the lecture here...

William Cobbett's campaigning was ultimately started off by the 'Policy of Enclosure', this was when landowners bought new machinery and expanded their land. Villagers were pushed into cities like Manchester, these became overcrowded and disease ridden. The Corn Laws were brought in to help British farmers because there were no farmers to grow food during the war, so everyone bought imported food during the war and then after the war, British farmers had no business, so something had to be done to stop people importing foreign food and the Corn Laws were the answer. With the CLs in place, British farmers could actually sell the food they were producing.

However, the Corn Laws didn't please everyone, the CLs forced British food prices to go up and cheaper food was needed. Also, factories had to pay higher wages to workers because the workers couldn't afford the British food. If there were no CLs, then cheap foreign food could be brought in and factories wouldn't have to pay such high wages. The Corn Laws were abolished in 1846.

William Cobbett and 'Rural Rides'

He was an anti-radical conservative kinda guy who (maybe) inadvertently turned into a radical socialist. He saw the Corn Laws as unfair on workers, he believed that the government was focusing too much on industrialising the country and not on rural life. His campaigning and work landed him in jail, however it could be argued that the Reform Act in 1832 was brought about by his work.

Cobbett developed his views on farming and the government whilst on his 'Rural Rides', this was the name of the book he wrote about his travels around the south and midlands of England. Cobbett wrote the book as a social reformer and a farmer. In the book he refers to 'overfred tax eaters' (landowners) and that farmers had become 'walking skeletons'.

He released a newspaper called the 'Political Register', this informed people of the government's corruption and the problems that farmers were having. To his surprise, the newspaper was supported by working class people. However, he had to change the Political Register to a leaflet because newspaper tax came into force - this was something he also campaigned against.

Cobbett and Rousseau

Rousseau can link to Cobbett. Rousseau talked about the 'statue of man' being eroded away by change. Cobbett thought that things would have been better if the industrialisation revolution hadn't happened.

Cobbett and Dickens

Dickens and Cobbett both attacked the establishment, however Dickens was more successful as he appealed more to the middle and upper classes.

TB 2012