Causes of Crime in the 18th & 19th Centuries (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did the Causes of Crime Change and Continue during the 18th & 19th Centuries? - Summary 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, significant social and economic changes occurred in England and Wales. Industrialisation and urbanisation led to new causes of crime, while older problems such as poverty continued to drive people to commit crimes. Unlike the 16th and 17th centuries, when religion and treason were major causes of crime, religious offences largely disappeared as society became more secular.

The rapid growth of towns and cities led to overcrowding, unemployment, poor housing, and disease, which encouraged theft and crime. Industrial unrest, such as the Luddite protests, showed how new forms of crime could emerge from changing working conditions. Although the nature of crime shifted from heresy and rebellion to theft, protest, and public disorder, the underlying cause of poverty remained the same. This period marked a notable change from religious and political crime to social and economic crime, caused by industrial life.

Pressures of Industrialisation

• Industrialisation and urbanisation of England and Wales in the 18th and 19th centuries caused

  • Population increase  

    • The population of Wales increased from 587,245 in 1800 to 2,012,875 in 1900 

  • Crime 

    • On existing crimes such as murder 

  • New crimes

    • Such as smuggling 

  • Political unrest 

  • Poor living conditions 

  • Economic issues 

  • Growth of industrial towns and cities 

• As industrialisation grew, so did crime

  • Working-class people wanted social and political change, which often resulted in violence 

    • For example, the Luddite Protests of 1812-1823 resulted in people attacking machines 

  • Poor living conditions and houses led to crime 

  • The houses also had narrow and twisting alleys, allowing criminals to get away more easily 

  • Highly populated areas resulted in less security 

    • Increasing theft and other petty crimes 

  • Poverty from industrialisation was associated with other social problems, such as drunkenness, which often resulted in crime 

The Growth of Towns and Cities 

• The growth of towns and cities during this period resulted in high crime rates 

  • The population of 

    • London grew from 675,000 in 1750 to 2.3 million in 1851 

    • Merthyr Tydfil grew from 7,705 in 1801 to 46,378 in 1851

• People moved into new towns and cities due to a range of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors 

  • The ‘pull’ factors included 

    • Industrial workers' wages were higher than agricultural workers 

    • There were many jobs available in factories, ironworks, and mines 

    • Industrialists built houses near their factories for their workers 

    • Industrial workers were employed all year round, unlike seasonal agricultural workers 

    • All members of the family were offered industrial work 

  • The ‘push’ factors included 

    • Jobs in farming were reduced as new equipment and farming methods were being used instead of people 

    • Bad harvests made many people poorer and led to starvation

    • The increase in the rural population, combined with fewer farming jobs, led to high unemployment 

    • Development in new forms of transport, such as trains, made it easier and cheaper for people to leave rural areas 

• A dramatic increase in the towns and cities' population also caused 

  • Overcrowding 

  • Poor living conditions 

  • Disease