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How to provoke a bread riot
MAT COWARD tells the story of how rising food prices in 1800 sparked six days of protests at the Corn Exchange, as Londoners demanded affordable food and challenged mind-bogglingly stupid government policies about bread
The Corn Exchange 1808
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THE ruling class — every ruling class, everywhere and everywhen — fears little else the way it fears rising food prices. People will put up with a lot, but when they can’t afford to eat, they do tend to set fire to things. Food riots can end regimes.
At the turn of the 18th into the 19th century, the price of bread in Britain reached historic highs. This was in a time when bread made up by far the greatest part of most people’s diets and used up most of their income. The consequent desperation of the population led to Parliament passing the Stale Bread Act and the Brown Bread Act — as well as to a superbly literate riot in the City of London.
The hunger protests reached the capital during the night of September 13-14 1800, which was Saturday into Sunday, when unknown hands attached placards to the Monument reading:
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