How far was transportation to Australia a successful punishment? 1

Objectives: To help you be creative and to come up with your own hypotheses and theories To study a cartoon closely looking at the different details To unlock the message of a cartoon To use historical knowledge to decide whether transportation was successful To use historical knowledge to date a cartoon.

What do you think this picture is about?

Questions: Write down any questions your have about this strange cartoon at the top of your page

Hypothesize What does this all mean? Any ideas?

…then we can start to think about the Sweet Poll and Black eyed Sue… From the late 1600s Britain had transported some of her criminals out of Britain and to the American colonies. After the Americans gained independence in 1776 the government had to find somewhere else to send our convicts. Captain Cook had recently discovered Australia, so from 1787 we sent our criminals there instead. Initial ideas: Why do you think they used transportation….and why to Australia? Can you come up with some reasons? …then we can start to think about the Sweet Poll and Black eyed Sue…

This information should help with your 5 reasons In the 1780s the British government faced a crisis. Judges and juries were not willing to convict people and sentence them to death but they were happy to sentence them to transportation. Transportation had already been used but the government could no longer send criminals to America because they had won their freedom. What should we do with our criminals? In 1770 James Cook discovered Australia. The British government wanted to own this new land. No one knew what it was like as a round trip to this new and scary land would take 18 months. The first ship carrying 736 criminals and a number of settlers set sail for Australia in May 1787. It arrived 9 months later Between 1787 and 1850 about 150,000 criminals were transported to Australia. The idea was to get our criminals out of Britain so crime would fall. Once they arrived ‘down under’ criminals were assigned to settler masters. Their sentence became whatever work their master gave them. This was a lucky draw and treatment of criminals entirely depended on the settlers attitude to them. But the idea was for this punishment to be harsh enough to terrify the criminals and reforming enough to stop them committing crime in the future

Transportation was also supposed to reform the criminals. Why transportation….and why Australia? Transportation was a form of punishment that juries were willing to use. Britain wanted to claim Australia as part of her growing Empire. Sending our criminals and settlers there would help . Transportation was seen as a harsh punishment that would terrify criminals and deter others from committing crime Transportation was also supposed to reform the criminals. By transporting our criminals out of the country crime in Britain was meant to fall.

This information should help you unlock the main messages of the image too In the 1780s the British government faced a crisis. Juries were not willing to convict people and sentence them to death, but they were happy to sentence them to transportation. Transportation had already been used but the government could no longer send criminals to America because the colonies had won their independence. What should we do with our criminals? In 1770 James Cook discovered Australia. The British government wanted to own this new land. No one new what it was like as a round trip to this new and scary land would take 18 months. The first ship carrying 736 criminals and a number of settlers set sail for Australia in May 1787. It arrived 9 months later Between 1787 and 1850 about 150,000 criminals were transported to Australia. The idea was to get our criminals out of Britain so crime would fall. Once they arrived ‘down under’ criminals were assigned to settlers. Their sentence became whatever work their master gave them. This was a lucky draw and treatment of criminals entirely depended on the settlers attitude to them. But the idea was for this punishment to be harsh enough to terrify the criminals and reforming enough to stop them committing crime in the future

What does this all mean. Walk around the source What does this all mean? Walk around the source. Take each point in turn and discuss what you think it represents

If you are not sure where to start, use 1-8 7 6 1 5 8 3 2 If you are not sure where to start, use 1-8 4

Did you get the same as me? 7 6 1 5 8 3 2 Did you get the same as me? 4

This is the ship used to transport the criminals This gallows represent judges and juries not executing people as there is no one being hanged These two have just said their last goodbyes and seem grief stricken too He represents the magistrates or judges who were willing to convict criminals to transportation – that’s why he is pointing to the ship and not the gallows 7 6 1 5 8 3 2 These chains were used to show that this lover boy was a prisoner and that he was going to spend the journey shackled Sue is so upset that she is crying and has tried to drown her sorrows – maybe she is worried about her lovers terrifying fate? Or that she won’t see him for 7 years They represent some of the criminals This tells us the names of the girls and where that they were going to Australia – Botany Bay was discovered by Captain Cook 4

Great work, but when exactly was this picture produced? Can you use your historical knowledge to date it?

How far was transportation a successful policy? And in this enquiry you will answer this question: How far was transportation a successful policy?

Was transportation a success? For the government? How did this change over time? For the prisoners transported? Was this the same for all of them? Did this change over time?

When do you think this produced When do you think this produced? There are some clues to help you in the picture if you need them

When did lots of other people want to go to Australia? When was the Bloody Code abolished? When were shackles used on the trip? When was Botany Bay no longer the main port of arrival for our criminals?