Great Britain 1853-1854

Synopsis

In the late 1840s wages in the Lancashire cotton industry had been reduced by 10 percent. When prosperity improved, the workers were disappointed not to have their old rates reinstated. A two-month strike of spinners at Stockport in summer 1853 won back the 10 percent and was followed by other successes, but in Preston the Masters' Association announced a general lockout to begin in mid-October. It lasted 17 weeks, and when in theory the workers could have returned to work, most chose not to do so. An effective organization that raised funds, distributed relief payments, sustained morale, and influenced public opinion supported the locked-out "operatives." In February 1854 the mill owners began to bring in "blackleg" labor, which aroused resentment but resulted in few disturbances. In March 1854 prominent organizers and speakers were arrested on conspiracy charges, although the case was eventually dropped. The Preston strike...