INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #2.

Riots

 

  During the 18th century, riots were frequent all throughout England. Several of these riots occurred for different reasons, some of them occurred as a result of how bad things were in this period for the English people. Those riots had a profound effect on the economy in the 18th century. Rising food prices, various protests and actions taken are the main causes why so many riots occurred and they really played a big role in regulating the economy at that time.

  To begin with, the majority of riots in the eighteenth century were a result of people in England that were upset and angry because the food prices were too high, much of the lower and middle class were affected by this.  They also complained about the terrible conditions in which they lived. People were tired of the English economic system and this generated a feeling of violence among people caused by despair and greed. People decided to start burning the crops as a symbol of rebellion and looting shops because they were starving. They also destructed public places and the peasants attacked the landowners’ houses. All these riots were enhanced by a group of citizens known as the mob. The mob defied the law and they took measures to bring a change to England.

  Furthermore, the riots carried out by the mob caused a lot of trouble for the English authorities since the “new towns” were still small villages, which lacked parish constables to keep the order among people. However, some larger towns such as London, Bristol and Liverpool had resident justices who were allowed to read the Riot Act. It was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorized local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action. The Act, whose long title was "An Act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters", came into force on 1 August 1715. If a group of people failed to disperse within one hour of the proclamation, the Act provided that the authorities could use force to disperse them. Anyone assisting with the dispersal was specifically indemnified against any legal consequences in the event of any of the crowd being injured or killed. 

  To conclude, it seems that dissatisfaction with the quality of life in Europe in the eighteenth century was the main cause of widespread rioting. It is definite that this comes from the tough conditions imposed on the peasants and workers in England by the authority of the ruling classes. The main objective of the mob was to bring about a real change and to improve for better and more salubrious living conditions. They were fighting for their rights and for a better deal.