Tolpuddle Martyrs
The Tolpuddle Martyrs were farm workers who could not take the cutbacks to their pay, and initiated one of the first unions in the 1830s. They were a group who decided to call for better wages. Some fought back by smashing machines, much like the Luddites, but there were laws in place to punish this behaviour, so this form of retaliation was not very popular amongst them. In 1834, six members were arrested and found guilty of unlawful assembly and 'administering unlawful oaths' and were sentenced to seven years transportation to a penal colony in Australia. George Loveless, one of the members arrested and sent to Australia, said the following during his trial:
My lord, if we had violated any law it was not done intentionally. We were uniting together to save ourselves, our wives and families from starvation.
This emphasises that the Tolpuddle Martyrs were fighting for themselves and their families in fear of not being able to put food on the table. It's easy to empathise with them as many people today struggle with similar dilemmas that may have presented themselves during the Industrial Revolution. The Tolpuddle Martyrs impacted the reform during the Industrial Revolution by forming the idea that solidarity is a basic human right, and their successes are still celebrated today.
My lord, if we had violated any law it was not done intentionally. We were uniting together to save ourselves, our wives and families from starvation.
This emphasises that the Tolpuddle Martyrs were fighting for themselves and their families in fear of not being able to put food on the table. It's easy to empathise with them as many people today struggle with similar dilemmas that may have presented themselves during the Industrial Revolution. The Tolpuddle Martyrs impacted the reform during the Industrial Revolution by forming the idea that solidarity is a basic human right, and their successes are still celebrated today.