Convict Life and Punishments in Australia

Who were the Convicts?
The late 18th century was a period of immense social and political change. In Britain the industrial revolution had driven thousands of country folk below the poverty line to the cities. This created a new underclass dependent on crime which resulted in the prisons overflowing. In 1787 the British government urgently needed a solution to the problems of the growing prison population. They came up with a solution to send the prisoners to Botany Bay, Australia. It wasn't the ideal choice as the place had only been glimpsed once on Captain Cook's expedition and the 15,0…