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......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 1 Introduction: The Extraordinary Case of a 'Law to Force Charity'......Page 12 2 Capitalist and Precapitalist Societies......Page 19 Modes of exploitation......Page 20 Precapitalist societies......Page 24 Capitalism......Page 27 The capitalist state......Page 31 The transition from 'feudalism' to capitalism......Page 34 Robert Brenner and agrarian capitalism......Page 46 Before capitalism......Page 56 The rise of agrarian capitalism, c. 1450–1760......Page 60 Industrial capitalism, c. 1760–1860......Page 73 The English state and privatized exploitation......Page 81 A critique of standard interpretations......Page 90 Poor relief in the middle ages......Page 98 The transition to public poor relief, c. 1530–1601......Page 101 The Reformation and poor relief......Page 105 The old poor law, 1601–1660......Page 110 The old poor law, 1660–1795......Page 117 Poor relief versus land and common rights......Page 123 Speenhamland to Swing, 1795–1830s......Page 128 Speenhamland and the capitalist labour market......Page 135 Settlement laws and the capitalist labour market......Page 138 The Poor Law Report of 1834......Page 146 The new poor law, 1834–1860s......Page 151 The new poor law and the crisis of capitalist agriculture......Page 157 6 Agrarian Class Relations and Poor Relief Outside England......Page 162 Poor relief in Scotland......Page 163 Crofting and the longevity of farm service in Scotland......Page 166 Poor relief in Ireland......Page 171 Ireland's 'beggarly agriculture'......Page 175 The Great Famine and after......Page 179 Poor relief in France......Page 184 Peasant proprietorship in France......Page 190 Land and Pauperismus in Germany......Page 194 From poor relief to Bismarck's reforms......Page 199 Towards the 'welfare state' in England, 1860s–1940s......Page 203 Capitalism and the welfare state......Page 206 Poor relief and the transition to agrarian capitalism......Page 214 Past and present......Page 217 Notes......Page 222 References......Page 230 A......Page 250 C......Page 251 E......Page 254 H......Page 255 J......Page 256 L......Page 257 M......Page 258 P......Page 259 R......Page 261 S......Page 262 T......Page 263 W......Page 264 Y......Page 265 "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 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. Larry Patriquin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.