Agrarian capitalism and poor relief in england 1500-1860 : rethinking the origins of the ... welfare state

This book examines the evolution of public assistance for the poor in England form the late medieval era to the Industrial Revolution. Placing poor relief in the context of the unique class relations of agrarian capitalism, it considers how and why relief in England in the early modern period was distinct, with comparisons made to Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany. Challenging and provocative, the author argues for a class-based reinterpretation of the origins of the welfare state. Cover 1 Contents -1 Acknowledgements -1 1 Introduction: The Extraordinary Case of a 'Law to Force Charity' -1 2 Capitalist and Precapitalist Societies -1 Modes of exploitation -1 Precapitalist societies -1 Capitalism -1 The capitalist state -1 The transition from 'feudalism' to capitalism -1 Robert Brenner and agrarian capitalism -1 3 The Development of Capitalism in England, c. 1300–1860 -1 Before capitalism -1 The rise of agrarian capitalism, c. 1450–1760 -1 Industrial capitalism, c. 1760–1860 -1 The English state and privatized exploitation -1 4 English Poor Relief, c. 1350–1795 -1 A critique of standard interpretations -1 Poor relief in the middle ages -1 The transition to public poor relief, c. 1530–1601 -1 The Reformation and poor relief -1 The old poor law, 1601–1660 -1 The old poor law, 1660–1795 -1 Poor relief versus land and common rights -1 5 Speenhamland, Settlement and the New Poor Law -1 Speenhamland to Swing, 1795–1830s -1 Speenhamland and the capitalist labour market -1 Settlement laws and the capitalist labour market -1 The Poor Law Report of 1834 -1 The new poor law, 1834–1860s -1 The new poor law and the crisis of capitalist agriculture -1 6 Agrarian Class Relations and Poor Relief Outside England -1 Poor relief in Scotland -1 Crofting and the longevity of farm service in Scotland -1 Poor relief in Ireland -1 Ireland's 'beggarly agriculture' -1 The Great Famine and after -1 Poor relief in France -1 Peasant proprietorship in France -1 Land and Pauperismus in Germany -1 From poor relief to Bismarck's reforms -1 7 Conclusion: Capitalism and the Origins of the Welfare State -1 Towards the 'welfare state' in England, 1860s–1940s -1 Capitalism and the welfare state -1 Poor relief and the transition to agrarian capitalism -1 Past and present -1 Notes -1 References -1 Index -1 A -1 B -1 C -1 D -1 E -1 F -1 G -1 H -1 I -1 J -1 K -1 L -1 M -1 N -1 O -1 P -1 Q -1 R -1 S -1 T -1 U -1 V -1 W -1 Y -1 "Agrarian Capitalism and Poor Relief in England, 1500-1860 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 debates in British history, Marxism, social welfare, historiography, theories of the state and the transition to capitalism."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction: The Extraordinary Case of a ‘Law to Force Charity’....Pages 1-7 Capitalist and Precapitalist Societies....Pages 8-44 The Development of Capitalism in England, c. 1300–1860....Pages 45-78 English Poor Relief, c. 1350–1795....Pages 79-116 Speenhamland, Settlement and the New Poor Law....Pages 117-150 Agrarian Class Relations and Poor Relief Outside England....Pages 151-191 Conclusion: Capitalism and the Origins of the Welfare State....Pages 192-210 Back Matter....Pages 211-254 Examines the evolution of public assistance for the poor in England from the late medieval era to Industrial Revolution. Placing poor relief in the context of class relations of agrarian capitalism, it considers how and why relief in England in the early modern period was distinct, with comparisons made to Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany This book 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 unique class relations of agrarian capitalism, it considers how and why relief in England in the early modern period was distinct.