British Economy in Darwin’s Time
The Railways: The first passenger railway opened in 1825 between Stockton and
Darlington. By 1848 there were 5000 miles of railways in Britain and the network
continued to expand rapidly in the later 19th century. Railways provided a great boost to
other industries such as iron. They also revolutionized transport.
19th Century Trade Unions: For the 1st time in 1888, a strike was organized and the workers
obtained better wages. In England, the XIX century was a turning point for the workers. It
began with the law that allowed the workers not to ask for higher wages.
The Corn Laws: During the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) Britain could not import large
amounts of grain from Europe. That all changed in 1815. British landowners feared that
cheap foreign grain would be imported so they passed the Corn Laws. Import duties would
be charged on imported wheat unless the average price of British wheat reached £2 a
quarter. Meanwhile by the 1840s public opinion changed in favor if free trade.
The factory acts: In the new textile factories, women and children were often made to work very long
hours (often 12 hours a day or even longer). The government was aware of the problem and in 1850
the law was changed. Factories could not be open for more than 12 hours a day. All workers, including
men, were allowed 1 ½ hours for meal breaks. Nevertheless in 1871 bank holidays were created.