1700-1900: Highway Robbery | Crime & Punishment | GCSE History Revision

Описание: Highway robbery saw a dramatic rise in the early 18th century due to a changing environment which created ideal circumstances for the crime. Eventually, it reached the point where the government decided they needed to take action.

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Quizlet Flashcards: https://quizlet.com/_598o7w

Practice exam-style questions:
Explain one way in which highway robbery in the 18th century was similar to highway robbery in the Middle Ages
Explain why the problem of highway robbery rose and fell in the period c1700-c1900
You may use the following in your answer:
Urbanisation
The growth of the banking system
You must also use information of your own.
‘The main reason for the growth of the problem of highway robbery in the early 18th century is increased travel’.
How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
You may use the following in your answer:
Increased travel
Urbanisation
You must also use information of your own.

Revision Notes:
Highway robbery was the act of threatening or attacking travellers and forcing them to hand over their valuable possessions
Had been a problem since the middle ages
Grew more common in the 18th century
As trade increased, there was more need to move goods and money (few banks and no cards so people carried around large amounts of money)
While towns were growing, the countryside became far less populous (much less populated than it is today), so there were many isolated country roads
Many roads were improved in the 18th century
Turnpike trusts improved the road surfaces, charging travellers a toll to pay for these improvements
This led to more travelling inc. regular stagecoach services
This meant there were many more people (and valuable items to steal) on the roads
Highway robbers who operated on foot were known as footpads
Highway robbers who travelled on horseback were known as highwaymen
Some highwaymen were infamous in the early 18th century
'Black Harry' in Derbyshire robbed pack-mule trains
He was eventually caught and executed at Wardlow Mires
Highway robbery was seen as highly serious
It disrupted travel between towns
It was committed on the king's highways
It could involve theft of mail bags, which disrupted the postal service
1772, in an effort to clamp down on the activities of highwaymen, the death penalty was introduced for any found armed and in disguise on a high road
Highway robbery continued into the 19th century
Became less common after 1815
Last reported case was in 1831
One factor in this reduction was the use of mounted horse patrols on major roads in the 19th century
The growth of the banking system meant there was less need for people to carry large sums of cash

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