EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Exam Practice - New Crimes
New Crimes and the Tolpuddle Martyrs · Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900 · Lesson 2 of 4 · 32 marks · 35 minutes
Name Date
Answer all questions. Use specific names, dates and examples in every answer.
Question 1 EXPLAIN ONE WAY [4 marks]
Explain one way in which attitudes to smuggling in the eighteenth century were similar to attitudes to poaching in the eighteenth century.
Question 2 EXPLAIN WHY [12 marks]
Explain why the Tolpuddle Martyrs were punished so harshly in 1834. You may use the following in your answer: the secret oath; fear of revolution. You must also use information of your own.
Question 3 HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE? [16 marks]
"The main reason for the decline of smuggling and highway robbery was the work of the authorities." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: import taxes; mounted patrols. You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)
Answers
Check your answer only once you have written one.
Question 1 [4 marks]
Both smuggling and poaching were seen by many ordinary people as social crimes - illegal, but not really wrong. Many people happily bought cheap smuggled tea and brandy and helped hide goods from customs officers, while villagers believed wild animals belonged to everyone and saw poaching as a way to feed their families. In both cases local communities protected the criminals, which made them hard to catch and convict.
▸ A valid similarity identified 1-2 marks
▸ Supported with specific knowledge of both crimes 3-4 marks
Question 2 [12 marks]
One reason was that the men had broken the law by swearing a secret oath. Trade unions were legal, but George Loveless and the other five labourers were convicted under the Unlawful Oaths Act of 1797, and the court used this to give them the maximum sentence of seven years transportation to Australia. A second reason was the authorities' fear of revolution. The French Revolution had shown how working people could overthrow the ruling class, and the government and landowners feared that trade unions might lead to similar unrest in Britain. Secret oaths made the union look like a dangerous conspiracy. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was recent unrest in the countryside. The Swing Riots of 1830 had seen farm labourers across southern England smash threshing machines and burn ricks. The harsh sentence was meant as a deterrent to stop other farm workers organising, which is why it was so severe for what was a peaceful protest over wages.
▸ Level 1 (1-3) A simple or general answer
▸ Level 2 (4-6) Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
▸ Level 3 (7-9) A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
▸ Level 4 (10-12) An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points
Question 3 [16 marks]
On the one hand, the authorities played an important part. The government's decision to cut import taxes from the 1780s, such as the tax on tea in 1784, removed the profit from smuggling, so this was a direct result of government action. Against highway robbery, mounted patrols on the roads around London made it more dangerous for highwaymen, and famous highwaymen such as Dick Turpin were hanged as a warning. On the other hand, wider changes in society mattered as much. Highway robbery declined because roads improved and became busier, so there were fewer quiet stretches where travellers were alone, and because people increasingly used banks and banknotes instead of carrying large amounts of cash. Towns grew outwards, lighting and traffic increased, and robbing coaches became harder and less rewarding. Overall, for smuggling the authorities' decision to cut taxes was the main reason for its decline, but for highway robbery changes in travel and banking were more important than policing. So the statement is true for smuggling but only partly true for highway robbery.
▸ Level 1 (1-4) A simple or generalised answer
▸ Level 2 (5-8) Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
▸ Level 3 (9-12) Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
▸ Level 4 (13-16) Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
▸ SPaG (4) Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as smuggling and social crime