The Rise and Fall of Transportation

What was transportation?

Transportation was a punishment that involved sending criminals overseas to faraway locations in the British Empire.

What were the laws connected to early modern transportation?

Two important transportation laws were:

• ❖ The Transportation Act of 1718.
• ❖ The Transportation Act of 1769.

Where were prisoner sent for transportation in the early modern period?

There were 3 main destinations where prisoner were sent for transportation in the early modern period:

• ❖ At first, prisoners were transported to the British colonies in Maryland and Virginia in north America.
• ❖ Following the American Revolution in 1776, transportation to America stopped.
• ❖ Captain Cook discovered Australia in 1770, and in 1787 it was decided to send convicts there instead.

How many people were transported in the early modern period?

Transportation became an increasingly popular method of punishment during the 1700s.

• ❖ In total, 36,000 people were transported between 1718 and 1769.
• ❖ Between 1718 and 1769, 70% of prisoners convicted at the Old Bailey in London were transported.
• ❖ In total, historians estimate that between 50,000 and 80,000 prisoners were transported before 1770.
• ❖ 160,000 prisoners were transported to Australia between 1780 and 1860.

How long were transportation sentences usually for?

The length of a transportation sentence depended on the crime.

• ❖ Less serious crimes might mean a sentence of seven years.
• ❖ Those who were transported as an alternative to execution were often sentenced to fourteen years.
• ❖ Some criminals guilty of serious crimes were transported for life.
• ❖ However, even if they finished their sentence, transported prisoners were often unable to afford to travel back to Britain.

What were the benefits of transportation?

To the authorities in the 17th and 18th centuries, transportation seemed a good alternative to the death penalty for 5 main reasons:

• ❖ It was hard, dangerous and scary enough to be an effective deterrent.
• ❖ England did not yet have an effective prison system, so it was an alternative method of removal.
• ❖ Convicts could be used to populate and work on the new colonies that England wanted to establish in its empire.
• ❖ Transportation, unlike the death penalty, offered the opportunity for reform and rehabilitation.
• ❖ It took criminals away from the environments and habits that may have turned them criminal in the first place.

How did transportation develop in the industrial period?

Transportation to American colonies stopped in the 1770s, when America declared its independence. Australia, which had been claimed for Britain in 1770 by Captain James Cook, was chosen to receive 160,000 convicts from the 1780s to the 1860s.

Why did the use of transportation rise in the industrial period?

The use of transportation rose in the early industrial period for 6 main reasons:

• ❖ The discovery of Australia led to an increase in its use.
• ❖ It was hoped it would provide a punishment option less harsh than hanging, so juries would be more likely to convict.
• ❖ It was harsh enough to terrify people and deter them from committing crimes.
• ❖ It would reduce crime in Britain by removing those committing it.
• ❖ It would help claim the new land of Australia for Britain.
• ❖ It would reform criminals through hard work.

What was transportation like?

Transportation was a harsh punishment in 5 key ways:

• ❖ Following their trial, convicts were held in prison while they waited for the next ship to leave for Australia. As prison buildings were overcrowded, some were held in hulks - disused ships used as floating prisons just offshore. They worked in chains while they waited.
• ❖ On the transport ship to Australia, convicts were kept below deck in dirty, cramped conditions. About 1% died during the 3-4 month journey.
• ❖ On arrival, convicts were sent to work for settlers. Their new masters provided basic food and housing. Good conduct could bring early release.
• ❖ Prisoners who committed further crimes were flogged or sent to more distant settlements where treatment was frequently harsh.
• ❖ Prisoners who failed to complete their sentence and returned to Britain without a 'ticket of leave' proving early release were sentenced to death.

What was the impact of transportation?

When they had served their sentences, most convicts could not afford to return home so remained in Australia. Many took the opportunity to live peaceful lives, often becoming respected members of the community.

Why did transportation end?

Transportation to Australia eventually ended due to 5 main reasons:

• ❖ Transportation to Australia declined in the 1840s and officially ended in 1868.
• ❖ Settlers in Australia believed ex-convicts were responsible for keeping local wages down and crime levels in their towns high. They wanted to change the perception of Australia being a land of just criminals.
• ❖ The crime rate did not fall during the use of transportation - instead, it increased quite sharply.
• ❖ By the 1830s, it was costing half a million pounds every year. Prisons began to be used more frequently, partly because they were cheaper to run.
• ❖ Transportation came to be seen as more of an opportunity than a punishment - wages were higher in Australia than in Britain, and gold was discovered there in 1851.

Who was sentenced to transportation?

There are 5 main facts to note about the prisoners transported in the industrial period:

• ❖ 80% of convicts sent to Australia were thieves.
• ❖ Most had committed more than one offence.
• ❖ Only 3% had been convicted of violent crimes.
• ❖ Some were people who had taken part in political protests.
• ❖ About a sixth of them were women.