The General Strike 1926

General questions for use with primary sources:

  • What type of document is it? (photograph, letter, illustration, poster, map)
  • Is there an original caption or title?
  • Who produced it? Do you know anything about the author/creator?
  • When was it written/produced?
  • Why was the source written/made?
  • Does the source relate to a particular historical event?
  • What is the source saying/showing about this event?
  • Does the source have any limitations?
  • What other primary sources could we use to corroborate/gain further information?

Questions about individual sources:

Source 1: Ellen Wilkinson MP (Labour) Speech to Parliament (June 1926)

  • What type of source is this?
  • What does it tell us about some of the grievances which led to the miners’ lockout and the General Strike?
  • Do you think the author may have had a particular take on events which might that have influenced the content of the speech?

Source 2: Photographs of colliers: taken by W.M Jones at Newbury Colliery. May 1926

William Willcocks in guss and crook

  • What can you see in this photograph?
  • What do you notice about the miner; his clothes, the state he is in, how he is standing etc
  • Why do you think this photo was taken?
  • Does this photograph corroborate anything you read in Ellen Wilkinson’s speech?

Miners at the coal face, Newbury

  • What is this photograph of?
  • What can you infer from it about the working conditions of the miners?
  • Why do you think the miners wear so few clothes?
  • Can you see any safety equipment?
  • Why do you think the photograph was taken?

Source 3: Bath Chronicle written page (8 May 1926)

  • Can you summarise the kinds of subjects which are written about on this page of the Bath Chronicle?
  • What would you say is the main focus of the articles?
  • Is there anything which surprises you?
  • Can you see any evidence of the seriousness of the impact of the General Strike?
  • Do you think the choice of articles for this front page tell us anything about the Chronicles editorial opinion about the strike?

Source 4: Bath Chronicle ‘Unusual Scenes’ (15 May 1926)

  • Does this page of photographs reflect the same main focus as Source 3?
  • Do the pictures help us understand how day to day life was kept going during the strike?
  • What do you think is going on in the bottom left photograph?
  • How do you think that the limitations of communications in 1926 might have influenced the planning and implementation of the strike?

Source 5: Bath Chronicle ‘Mr. CE Pitman Oxford stroke’ (15 May 1926)

Mr. C E Pitman of Bath, the Oxford stroke in the ‘Varsity Boat Race, on the footplate of the L. M. and S. locomotive which he was stoking between Bristol and Gloucester.

  • What does this source tell us about Mr. Pitman?
  • Why do you think the newspaper has included this information?
  • What can we infer about how vital services were kept going during the strike?
  • Is there more information about this in another of the sources you have looked at?
  • Do you think there were risks associated with this strategy to keep the country going?

Source 6: Bath Chronicle ‘Idle tram workers’ (8 May 1926)

  • What do you notice in the photograph?
  • How are people dressed, what is their mood?
  • Have any alterations been made to the original?
  • Do you think it appeared in the newspaper in this form?
  • Why might photographs be altered in this way?
  • Does the caption influence your view of the scene?

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