Work and Unemployment 1834-1911

Overview

This volume explores primarily late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century efforts to solve the problem of unemployment in the context of the new understandings of ‘unemployment’. The sources show the continuing power of discovering men’s commitment to work by finding ways to make them work.

Focus Areas

This volume focuses on emigration to put unemployed men to work in the British colonies, the various projects to employ urban men without work on the land, and the increasing ‘Intervention of the State’ in efforts like emigration and labour colonies. Accompanied by extensive editorial commentary, this volume will be of great interest to students of British History.