Kadri: Social 30-2

Fall2015/R2-5

Chapter 5
Impacts of and Responses to Classical Liberalism
Too Much of a Good Thing
In the previous chapter, you read about the shift from classical liberalism to modern liberalism over
time. This shift occurred in response to issues in many Western democratic societies that resulted
from the following classical liberal values. Classical liberal values are centered on individualism: the
belief that individuals should be allowed to make their own decisions and look after their own
interests. This focus on the individual was eventually questioned by modern liberals, who
sought to create greater equality of opportunity for all individuals through government
intervention. This chapter will explore how modern liberalism evolved.
Industrialization: (p. 116) ____________________________________________________________
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Laissez faire capitalism: (p.117) ____________________________________________________
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Robber Barons: (p. 118) _____________________________________________________________
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Captains of industry: (p. 118) _________________________________________________________
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Describe the challenge of income gap and the cost of living for the working class: (p. 119) ________
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Some industrialists used the values of classical liberalism and a lack of government intervention to
their advantage. This meant that workers were often treated ______________________________.
Laissez-faire capitalism also resulted in ______________________________________________and
unjust firing practices.
Any government intervention was seen as (p. 120-121):
Government Intervention was seen as ________________________________________________.

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Industrialists and manufacturers were given incredible economic _________________ to run their
businesses according to the value of ___________________________ because this was viewed as the
best way to benefit the _________________________ in society. Therefore, having individual
freedom and a lack of government intervention was believed to be best for all common good.
Read the case studies on pages 120-121 to highlight the past and the present day income gap.
Describe in point form some of the terrible working conditions in factories and mines (p. 123)
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As well, there was a sharp increase in child labour at this time. Describe some of the conditions/ or
experiences for children at this time or draw a cartoon to demonstrate your understanding of the
abuses.

Responses to Conditions created by Classical Liberalism.

People wanted to improve the abuses of laissez-faire capitalism and a lack of government
intervention. Below are some case studies that highlight improvements in conditions and more
government intervention during the 1800-1900s.
How did liberalism evolve (change/improve) over time? (p. 125)

Luddites were people who ____________ change by the Industrial Revolution. They saw skilled
workers __________their jobs and _____________were shrinking. As a response, Luddites broke
into factories and ___________________________________________________________________
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They saw technology as a _____________to their way of life and livelihood.
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Summarize how Luddites responded to the abuses of the Industrial Revolution: _________________
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Kadri: Social 30-2

Fall2015/R2-5

RESPONSE: Labour Standards and Unions to Improve Conditions for the Working Class:
Industrialization led to great change and innovation in society, as well as a dramatic increase in
the gap between the people who were rich and those who were poor. Many people viewed the
unequal distribution of wealth and the treatment of the working poor as unfair. This led to political
and social movements that focused on possible ways that the new wealth of industrialized countries
could be shared.
Many people (for example, authors speakers, activists, photographers, journalists and artists)
began to speak out about poverty, child labour, and the living and working conditions of the working
class in industrializing countries. As more and more people came to know that these conditions
existed in their own societies, they began to call for change. In response to these concerns, liberal
governments began to impose some restrictions on laissez-faire capitalism. Eventually, a number of
acts would be passed by governments in the 19th century to increase the age at which children could
be employed to shorten the working day, to improve working conditions, and to increase wages.
Factory Acts
The Factory Acts were a series of laws passed by British Parliament during the 1800s and early 1900s
to make better and fairer working conditions for workers, particularly children and women. The
earliest of such acts in Britain was the Factory Act of 1802, which addressed child labour among
other topics. The following points are some of the regulations: (p 126)
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
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5. _______________________________________________________________________________
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Child labour reforms included age limits (had to be 9 years old) and also limits in the amount of
hours children were allowed to work (only 12 hours per day). Compare these restrictions with what
you know about child labour standards today. Today the age for employment is typically ______ yrs
and the amount of hours per day / week is _________.
These various government acts went against strict classical liberal economic values that demanded
little or no government intervention in the economy, they were still based on several key liberals
values: the importance of individual rights and the worth of all individuals. Society came to see that
decent working conditions, fair wages, reasonable working hours, and the opportunity for an
education were rights that all citizens deserved. This eventually led to the idea of equal
opportunity, which includes equal economic opportunity.

Kadri: Social 30-2

Fall2015/R2-5

Labour Unions
Labour unions are groups of people who try to improve the working conditions and wages for
either a specific group of workers or an entire industry. Because labour unions often include many
workers, they can use their strength in numbers to improve wages and conditions. As a result, labour
unions sometimes use strikes or work stoppages to convince management and owners to negotiate the
terms of new contracts.
Two views on Labour Unions:
1. (p 127) During the 1800s and early 1900s. some people began to believe unions were necessary...
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2. (p 128) Other people argued that labour unions interfered with the economy by
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3. Describe the reasons why the Winnipeg General Strike is an example of the evolution of
liberalism. (pp 128,137,138)
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Increasing Rights and Government Intervention Other Responses to Classical Liberalism
As the vote was extended to a wider population, governments had to pass laws and introduce
legislation that was in the interest of different groups if they wanted to _________________.
The introduction of government programs such as _________________________________________
_____________________________ resulted in the eventual formation of the welfare state.
The welfare state is a society where the government plays a _______ role in providing for the needs
of its citizens. More of the common good is emphasized. Some examples of services the government
would provide in a welfare state include: (p. 129) _________________________________________
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Two opposing perspectives on the welfare state: (p 129)

Classical liberals opposed the creation of the welfare state using the arguments that it creates an
_____________________________ and discourages innovation and _________________________.
However, those who believe in the welfare state would disagree and suggest that
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The evolution of individual and collective rights and Early Feminism
With the Industrial Revolution, the role of women in society changed drastically. Some of the
important jobs that were traditionally in a womans domain, such as making clothing, were now
largely done in factories owned and run by men. Instead of being in charge of these jobs in the home,
many women worked in factories under the supervision of men. During this time, the individual
rights and freedoms gained during the rise of classical liberalism and the growing development of
more modern liberal values were not applied to women. Men were getting more rights and freedoms
women were not.
By the mid 1800s, some women and men believed that the ideas of liberty, selfdetermination, individual rights and equality should be extended to women. For example, in 1867,
Emily Stowe became the first female doctor in Canada. At the time, she had to go to university in the
United States because no schools in Canada would allow her to attend. In the 1870s, the womens
suffrage (right to vote) movement began. This suffrage movement is considered to be the first wave
of feminism, the belief in the social, political and economic equality of women.
Between 1890s and 1920s, many countries around the world began to legally give women the
right to vote. In Canada, women earned the right to vote in federal elections in 1918. However, in
Quebec, women did not have the right to vote in provincial elections until 1940.
These early feminists drew attention to the need to address the unequal
treatment of people in society. Many people in the early feminist movement were
concerned with the rights of other groups such as children and visible minorities.
Early feminist movements also shared many concerns with those fighting for workers
rights in labour unions. Feminism influenced liberal ideas and encouraged the shift of
liberalism towards ensuring basic needs, a decent standard of living, and safety and
security for all citizens of a liberal democracy. (p. 130-132)
Protection of Human Rights (p 132)
In their pursuit of ensuring basic needs, a decent standard of living, and safety and security for all
people, liberal government began to define and identity human rights. In the 20th century, many
people argued for greater protection of human rights, not only in the workplace but outside of it as
well. Some people suggest that human rights are those rights that should be guaranteed to all human
beings: they are part of what it means to be human. Describe some of the organizations and
documents that were created in the 20th century to promote human rights. In Canada we have the
____________________________________________________. Other organizations and
documents include: _______________________________________________________________.

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Kadri: Social 30-2

Write out the summary paragraph on page 134- From Classical to Modern Liberalism. You may wish to add the chart into your own
personal notes as well. Also, re-create figure 5-19 and 5-20, noting what the terms left wing, right wing, liberal and conservative mean.
If time, complete the timeline (Figure 5-21 in your notebook).

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