Agrarian capitalism and poor relief in England, 1500-1860 : rethinking the origins of the welfare state / Larry Patriquin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Patriquin, Larry.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public welfare--England--History.

Public welfare.

Agriculture--Economic aspects--England--History.

Agriculture.

Social classes--England.

Social classes.

Capitalism--Social aspects--England--History.

Capitalism.

Capitalism--Social aspects.

History.

Agriculture--Economic aspects.

England.

Physical Description:

ix, 254 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

Agrarian Capitalism and Poor Relief in England, 7500-1860 examines the evolution of public assistance for the poor in England from the late medieval era to the Industrial Revolution. Placing poor relief in the context of the unprecedented class relations of agrarian capitalism and the rise of a unique non-absolutist state, it accounts for why relief in England was distinct, with comparisons made to Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany. The author argues that poor relief was a substitute for access to land and common rights, a virtual exchange of money as compensation for the creation of absolute private property. In a work both challenging and provocative, Larry Patriquin makes a case for a class-based reinterpretation of the origins of the welfare state. Clearly written and well organized, this new explanation of the 'great transformation' will contribute to debate's in British history, Marxism, social welfare, historiography, theories of the state and the transition to capitalism.

Contents:

1 Introduction: The Extraordinary Case of a 'Law to Force Charity' 1

2 Capitalist and Precapitalist Societies 8

Modes of exploitation 9

Precapitalist societies 13

Capitalism 16

The capitalist state 20

The transition from 'feudalism' to capitalism 23

Robert Brenner and agrarian capitalism 35

3 The Development of Capitalism in England, c. 1300-1860 45

Before capitalism 45

The rise of agrarian capitalism, c. 1450-1760 49

Industrial capitalism, c. 1760-1860 62

The English state and privatized exploitation 70

4 English Poor Relief, c. 1350-1795 79

A critique of standard interpretations 79

Poor relief in the middle ages 87

The transition to public poor relief, c. 1530-1601 90

The Reformation and poor relief 94

The old poor law, 1601-1660 99

The old poor law, 1660-1795 106

Poor relief versus land and common rights 112

5 Speenhamland, Settlement and the New Poor Law 117

Speenhamland to Swing, 1795-1830s 117

Speenhamland and the capitalist labour market 124

Settlement laws and the capitalist labour market 127

The Poor Law Report of 1834 135

The new poor law, 1834-1860s 140

The new poor law and the crisis of capitalist agriculture 146

6 Agrarian Class Relations and Poor Relief Outside England 151

Poor relief in Scotland 152

Crofting and the longevity of farm service in Scotland 155

Poor relief in Ireland 160

Ireland's 'beggarly agriculture' 164

The Great Famine and after 168

Poor relief in France 173

Peasant proprietorship in France 179

Land and Pauperismus in Germany 183

From poor relief to Bismarck's reforms 188

7 Conclusion: Capitalism and the Origins of the Welfare State 192

Towards the 'welfare state' in England, 1860s-1940s 192

Capitalism and the welfare state 195

Poor relief and the transition to agrarian capitalism 203

Past and present 206.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230516939

0230516939

OCLC:

141379890