Chartism
CAUSES OF CHARTISM
TACTICS OF CHARTISM
KENNINGTON COMMON & FAILURE OF CHARTISM
Why was there no revolution in Britain?
Northern Star Newspaper
Great Reform Act 1832
Reasons the Chartists failed:
Weaknesses of the Movement
Power of the state
Enfranchised the middle class and isolated working class
Absence of allies
Lack of strategy
Petitions rejected their leaders
Violence was delth with
O'Connor himself
No martyrs were created and spies were effective
Railways allowed police/army to move quickly
The army and Napier had more weaponry than Chartists
Kennington Common March
British national identity, don't rebel
Reform not revolution
Irish alliance never happened
Power of the state
Poor leadership from Chartists
In 1847, Feargus O'Connor had been elected as MP.
A third petition was created and meeting arranged for 10th April 1848.
The authorities heard some articles and feared revolution
The police spoke to O'Connor about delivering it alone, after violence grew
The gov. ridiculed the Chartists and the petition
Britain had become more industrialised and more literacy and numeracy led to more invention and innovation.
Factory Act 1833
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
War of Unstamped Press
Poor Law Amendment 1834
Failed Anti-Poor Law Campaign 1837/8
Economic issues
Tax on newspaper, radical newspaper charged low prices
Extended franchise of ratepayers, police can suppress threats, working class denied a voice
Poor relief for people with no money
Raised funds and set up locl clubs devoted to repeal
9yo. children work 48h max
By Lord Shaftesbury, no improvement for adults
Whigs lowered tax
Outdoor relief for people who have homes
Indoor relief for people who need to live in a workhouse
Workhouses introduced
Repeal failed 309 to 17
Economic depression hit 1837 and 1842
Jobs and wages cut, bread and wheat prices rose -- Starvation
Radical MPs lost seats, electorate only 18%
The LWMA & Six Points
London Working Men's Association
The Six Points
Vote for every 21yo man
LWMA formed by Francis Place and William Lovett
Secret ballot
No property qualification
Payments for MPs
Annual parliament
Equal constituencies
People's Charter was published in 1838
London Democratic Association formed in 1837 by George Julian Harney
Chartist meetings
Chartist convention and fracturing
First Petition
Gov. reaction
Newport Rising
Further insurrections
Radical reformer Feargus O'Connor in 1837
A Glasgow meeting had round 100,000 people attending, 28th June 1838
All Chartist groups met at Holloway Head in Aug 1838 -- 200,000 people
12th July - Petition delivered to Parliament, 1.2m signatures but voted out 235 to 46
The gov. feared growing revolution
May 1839 -- Henry Vincent arrested, Welsh Chartist furious
Between Jun 1839 and Jul 1840, 500 Chartists imprisoned
Strongly associated with using physical force
Sold 36,000 copies a week at peak, mass audience
Spies attended the meetings and report back
Sheffield Working Men's Association in Dec 1837, held peaceful meetings, locals gathered which was banned.
70 demonstrators were arrested
Established a "National Convention" but didn't use the name, links to French Rev.
Ulterior measures created to be followed during a "sacred month"
Chartist ordered sacred month, but O'Connor was against this, as food would not be produced
The Convention dissolved itself in Aug 1839
11th Jan 1840 - Sheffield protesters failed due to increased vigilance
Bradford, Intention of seizing shops, banks and ironworks, put down quick
John Frost, who became past mayor through MuniCorp Act, Along with William Jones and Zephaniah Williams led march
7000 miners left North Gwent on 3rd Nov 1839, 3000 arrived at Westgate Hotel on 4th Nov 1839 due to poor weather
Ulterior measures: Withdraw savings, boycott high-taxed goods, refuse paying rent, general strike, arm for defence
Ulterior measures scared Lovett and led to the separation of Lovett's moral Chartist to O'Connor's forceful Chartists
Major General Sir Charles Napier took command of 6,000 troops
Napier was sympathetic to the people but had to maintain order
Shots were fired by both sides, Chartists had 20 dead, 50 wounded, 125 arrested, 21 charged with high treason
O'Connor helped the National Charter Association, formed in July 1840. Lovett set up the National Association for the Moral, Social and Political Improvement of the People in 1840.