The skilled artisan classes put pressure for reform as led by Francis Place. They were experiencing a growth in trade and a fall in unemployment and Place and his supporters argued that the legalisation of Trade Unions would lead members to reject violence and work towards greater productivity and therefore the prosperity of owners and workers alike.
This led to the government repealing the Combination Acts in 1824. This short trade boom led to a rise in living costs which then led to a recession which created more hardship.
After this there was a burst of strike action and the government went back on the repeal with an Amending Act 1825 which made it illegal to ‘molest’ or ‘obstruct’ other workers.
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