1700-1900: Smuggling | Crime & Punishment | GCSE History Revision

The 18th century saw a dramatic rise in cases of smuggling, with the rise of gang-organised smuggling. Gangs such as the Hawkhurst Gang dominated coastline and the authorities struggled to tackle the problem. It was only in the 1780s when PM William Pitt began reducing import duties that cases of the crime gradually began to fall.

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Quizlet Flashcards: https://quizlet.com/_519kgg

Practice exam-style questions:
- Explain one way in which smuggling in Britain during the seventeenth century was similar to smuggling in the eighteenth century
- Explain one way in which smuggling in Britain during the seventeenth century was different to smuggling during the eighteenth century
- Explain why the problem of smuggling rose and fell in the period c1700-c1900
You may use the following in your answer:
- Smuggler Gangs
- Import Duties
You must also use information of your own.
- ‘The main reason for smuggling being difficult for the authorities to tackle was because it was a social crime’.
How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
You may use the following in your answer:
- The upper classes
- Local coastal communities
You must also use information of your own.

Revision Notes:
- 17th cent, the government introduced import duties on a range of goods
- This included some alcohol and tea (a new luxury product at the time)
- This created an opportunity for people to make a profit from smuggling
- 18th cent, more goods were taxed
- This included cloth, wine and spirits
- Smuggling activity increased
-18th century saw the rise of large smuggler gangs
- One gang was the Hawkhurst gang (named after Hawkhurst in Kent)
- They controlled large stretches of the south coast of England
- They operated from 1735 to 1749
- Operated on a larger and more organised scale than previous smugglers
- Their leaders were Arthur Gray and Thomas Kingsmill
- The pair were caught and hanged in 1748 and 1749
- Authorities found it difficult to tackle smuggling
- Smuggling was a social crime
- Many benefitted from cheaper goods, so people didn't see it as serious
- Some smugglers were even viewed as popular heroes
- Many of the locals in coastal areas collaborated with smuggler gangs
- For instance, making money by helping unload boats and hiding goods until they were sold on
- Members of the upper classes often bought smuggled goods, so would help conceal smuggler activities, rather than report them
- Smugglers often worked at night, unloading cargoes under the cover of darkness
- There were miles of unpoliced coastline
- It was easy for smugglers to find a secluded cove to unload in
- Some argued that smuggling was a crime created by the government (introducing and extending import duties)
- Smuggling died down after it became less profitable
- 1780s, PM William Pitt lowered import duties
- 19th century, they were reduced again
- There was now less of a difference between the prices offered by smugglers and law-abiding traders
- Smuggling dropped dramatically

This video is a revision resource for the 'Crime and Punishment Through Time' module of the new Pearson Edexcel 2016 History GCSE (9-1), though may be compatible with other specs from different exam boards.

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