Poverty in Victorian London

• English
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

What could this image tell us about London?

Why was poverty such an issue?

Following the industrial revolution, millions moved to London looking for work. There were not enough houses for them to live in, and so they became homeless and desperate for money. This allowed the factory owners to exploit many.

What does exploit mean?

Expolitation is the misuse of someone in a lower class for financial gain. The poor were often put in dangerous, deadly positions so the rich did not have to be at risk. 

What happened if you needed help?

The poor faced 2 options - debtor's jail or the workhouse. You would be in debtor's prison until you paid off the debt. In the workhouse, families were seperated, food was scarce and you were forced to do difficult and long jobs such as walking on a treadmill for 12 hours!

Would you rather have been sent to debtor's prison or the workhouse?

Prison

Workhouse

Why did this happen?

In 1834, the Poor Law declared that charity should not be given to those in need. Instead, able bodied and unemployed must work in workhouses where conditions were deliberately awful in order to discourage the lazy from working there.

This was because many believed the poor were undeserving and should not be helped. 

What is undeserving poverty?

People believed that the poor were either undeserving (gambled and drank away all their money) or deserving (good, honest workers who deserved help). 

When was the Poor Law established?

1. 1834
2. 1854
3. 1863
4. 1964

Why did they establish this law?

1. They wanted to help the poor.
2. They wanted to discourage the poor and make them work.
3. They wanted free labour.
4. They couldn't afford to help them.

What about education?

The poor also suffered from a lack of education and many children of poorer families would work similar hours to their parents, often in dangerous jobs where the risk of injury and disability was high. Ragged Schools started to spring up  as a way of educating the poor. Their name came from the ragged clothes of many of their students. They were schools run by individuals or groups of people who wanted to provide education for those who didn’t have it and many of the teachers were volunteers

List 3 things you know about Ragged schools.

What challenges did the poor in Victorian London face?

Challenges faced by the poor

Beliefs of the upper class

The workhouse

They should have no support

No education 

Lazy and immoral