The Poor Law of 1814, like the more famous Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, was designed to reduce the cost of looking after the poor, but it did so by making the conditions of workhouses deliberately harsh and unattractive. This was to deter people from seeking assistance unless absolutely necessary, leading to conditions that laborers found oppressive.

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The Poor Law of 1814

Question 21

Multiple Choice

A) provided relief from cyclical unemployment.
B) forced people to work under conditions that laborers found unattractive and even oppressive.
C) was met with enthusiasm by the laboring poor.
D) granted relief to women with abusive husbands.

Correct Answer: