History - Crime and Punishment - 18th and 19th century - Transportation
- Created by: YellowFootball18
- Created on: 31-12-20 16:36
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18th - 19th Century:
Transportation:
Background
- 1717 Transportation Act made it legal for Britain to transport criminals out of Britain to our colonies
- Capital crime committed = 14 years work abroad
- Non capital-crime committed = 7 years work abroad
- System where convicted criminals were sent abroad as punishment
- At first they were sent to America but when they became independant in 1770s they were sent to Australia instead
- It was newly discovered and unknown, it was a round trip of 18 months and the environment in Australia is unforgiving.
- The thought of sending people to an unknown place 'on the edge of the world' acted like a deterrent and lawmakers thoguht it would be successful as:
- Provides a punishment less harsh than hanging so juries will go along with it
- Be harsh enough to act as a deterrent
- Reduce crime at home by removing the criminals
- Help calim Australia for Britain
- Reform the criminals through hard work
How did it work?
- After a criminal was convicted it took many moths before they arrived abroad
- First they were sent to Hulks or gaols until enough were collected for a voyage
- They worked in chains while waiting
- The voyage was cramped and 1% died during the 4 month trade in the 1830s
- On arrival they were assigned to settlers and their sentence…
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