Britain- D2- Chartism, c1838-c1850 Flashcards
1
Q
How did the government disperse the Bull Ring Chartists?
A
Sent a police force from London on the recently opened London and Birmingham railway
2
Q
When was the Newport Rising?
A
3 November 1839
3
Q
Where had Chartism secured very strong support?
A
Industrial areas of South Wales
4
Q
Who was the Newport Rising organised for in order to campaign for their release from prison?
A
Henry Vincent, a prominent Welsh Chartist
5
Q
Who led one of the three separate marches that converged at Newport?
A
John Frost, a member of the Convention
6
Q
Where did the Newport marchers surround?
A
Westgate Hotel
7
Q
How many people were killed in the Newport Rising?
A
22
8
Q
How many people were injured in the Newport Rising?
A
Over 50
9
Q
What happened to Frost and two of his associates in the aftermath of the Newport riot? What did the government step in and do?
A
Found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death- government ensured that the men were sentenced to transportation for life instead of execution to prevent further rioting
10
Q
When was the first Chartist petition?
A
June 1839
11
Q
Who presented the first Chartist petition to parliament and what reform organisation had he created?
A
Thomas Attwood, founder of the BPU
12
Q
How many signatures did the first Chartist petition contain?
A
1,283,000
13
Q
How many of the signatories in the first Chartist petition were women?
A
1/4
14
Q
When did the House of Commons vote on the first Chartist petition?
A
14 July 1839
15
Q
How was the first Chartist petition received by the House of Commons?(how many votes, fewer than what fraction of parliament turned up)
A
Rejected by 235 votes to 46; fewer than 1/2 of all MPs turned up to vote
16
Q
What was the National Convention, and when did it fall into disarray?
A
The national convention was called to organise support for the people’s charter- presented the first chartist petition- and was considered a people’s parliament but it fell apart by August 1839
17
Q
Who had withdrawn their support from the National Convention by August 1839?
A
BPU, worried by violence at the Bull Ring
18
Q
When was the National Convention dissolved?
A
September 1839
19
Q
When was the second Chartist petition?
A
1842
20
Q
Why were the circumstances surrounding the second Chartist petition different to those of the first?
A
Whig government that had dominated politics in the 1830s were heavily defeated in the 1841 election at hands of Peel’s Conservatives; different economic circumstances
21
Q
Why were the economic circumstances surrounding the second Chartist petition different to those of the first?
A
Peel’s entry into office coincided with a period of severe economic depression; widespread unemployment by 1842
22
Q
How many signatures did the second Chartist petition contain?
A
3.3 million- 1/3 of adult population
23
Q
How was the second Chartist petition received by the House of Commons?
A
Denied a hearing by 287 votes to 49
24
Q
When were the Plug Plot riots?
A
1842
25
What were the Plug Plot riots and why did they occur?
Wage reductions in the Yorkshire and Lancashire cotton trades sparked a wave of strikes, which involved workers removing plugs from boilers and bringing a factory to a standstill
26
How were the Plug Plot riots 1842 received by the Chartist movement?
Not promoted- O'Connor denounced them in the 'Northern Star'
27
What ended the violence in the north in response to the rejection of the Chartist petitions?
1842 harvest and fall in unemployment
28
When was the third Chartist petition?
1848
29
When was there a general depression that led to a third wave of Chartism?
1847
30
What worried many Chartists in 1847?
Whig victory in the election
31
When was O'Connor elected as the MP for Nottingham?
1847
32
When did the French monarchy fall?
February 1848
33
How many people turned up to the Kennington Common meeting and why? How many had O'Connor hoped for?
Only 25,000 turned up due to driving rain and a show of government force. This is compared to the hoped-for 200,000
34
When was the Kennington Common meeting? Who organised it and why?
10 April 1848. Organised by O'Connor who hoped a massive crowd would come to support the petition.
35
What made the Kennington Common meeting different from the mass meetings of 1838-9?
Very few women attended
36
How many signatures did O'Connor claim that the third Chartist petition had?
5.5 million
37
Why did the House of Commons refuse to consider the third Chartist petition?
Fewer than 2 million genuine signatures
38
When did a meeting in London post-third petition attract a crowd of 60,000?
May 1848
39
When did it become clear that Chartism no longer attracted a strong allegiance among working people?
Early 1849
40
What ruined O'Connor?
1848 petition
41
When was the final Chartist Convention convened?
1858
42
After the final Chartist Convention, who took over putting the pressure on parliament for reform?
Middle-class radicals such as John Bright
43
When was O'Connor released from prison?
1841
44
What was the National Charter Association (NCA)?
National body supported by a membership that paid a quarterly subscription; gave central direction to Chartism for the rest of the decade
45
How many people joined the NCA?
70,000
46
What have many historians suggested that the NCA was?
First national party of the working class
47
Who led the NCA?
Feargus O'Connor
48
Other than O'Connor's attitude, what did many Chartist leaders find difficult to handle with him?
His uncompromising manner
49
What did Lovett focus his time in jail (which was when) on, as well as the People's Charter?
Jailed 1839-1840. Focused of educational initiatives
50
What did Lovett form after his release from prison? What was this dubbed?
National Association Promoting the Political and Social Improvement of the People- which was dubbed 'Knowledge Chartism'
51
Why did O'Connor denounce Lovett's new pursuit?
He felt it would distract Chartism from its central focus of the People's Charter
52
When did Lovett's National Association fade into insignificance?
Late 1850s
53
When was Peel in office?
1841-46
54
What did Peel's government not do that their Whig predecessors had?
Pass any legislation that aroused Chartist anger
55
Which of Peel's policies were broadly welcomed?
Reduced duties on imported corn and other goods
56
What legislation did Peel's Tory government introduce in the 40s to tackle social issues?
Mines Act 1842; Factory Act 1844
57
How did Peel feel about Chartism?
He was as opposed to it as his predecessors
58
How did O'Connor decide to reunite Chartism and rekindle its radical enthusiasm?
Chartist Land Plan- It aimed to resettle working-class families, escaping poverty and poor conditions of industrial towns, on small plots of land to become small-scale farmers, giving them economic independence and, ideally, the right to vote (as voting was tied to property ownership).
59
Where did O'Connor reveal his Chartist Land Plan?
Convention of 1845
60
How many families were resettled under the Chartist Land Plan?
Only 250
61
Why did Chartism fail to achieve its aims by 1850?
A divided working class; Chartism unable to gain widespread lasting support among the trade unions; a changing economy
62
Why did the trade unions abandon the Chartist movement and when?
Proposal of a 'sacred month' in 1839
63
When did the National Charter Association try to forge more lasting links with the unions?
Early 1840s
64
When was the National Association of United Trades launched?
1845
65
What did O'Connor change the name of his newspaper to in order to try to form an alliance with the trade union movement?
'Northern Star and the National Trades Journal'
66
What did Chartism do for working-class radicalism?
Breathed new life into it
67
When was payment of MPs introduced?
1912
68
When was support for Chartism in its height?
1838-39
69
How many copies of the 'Northern Star' were sold in 1839 vs 1845?
1839- Sold an average of 36,000
1845- Fewer than 6,000
70
Which towns in particular had a vigorous Chartist presence?
Ashton-Under-Lyne; Stockport
71
Where did Chartism make the least impact? What % of strength did these places provide to the movement?
Essex and Suffolk provided less than 1% of its strength; Ireland
72
Who was infamous for his sermons that denounced Chartist leaders as irreligious?
Bishop of Norwich
73
Why did Chartism never manage to get a foothold in London?
Its sheer size
74
Where did Chartism enjoy strong support?
Expanding industrial areas of the Midlands and the north; industrial areas in Scotland; Wales
75
Why was there some increase in Chartist activity in the 1840s?
Fluctuations in the economy; well-organised activities of the National Charter Association
76
How were women involved in the Chartist movement? (5)
Fundraising activities; running Chartist Sunday Schools; sewing banners; organising tea parties; 'exclusive deals'(e.g. patronising shopkeepers)
77
How many female Chartist organisations were there? What's the however?
100- but women were never considered for roles in the national movement
78
Which organisations were women drawn to after they withdrew from Chartism? And when did they withdraw?
Women's involvement in Chartist activities declined in the 40s. Instead they were drawn to Religious and teetotal groups
79
What was the attitude of most men towards female Chartists?
Women should limit themselves to supporting their husbands and families and should not engage in political activities
80
When and when was the Anti-Corn Law League formed? Why? And who provided financial support?
Formed in Manchester in 1838, with strong financial support from a number of rich industrialists- it claimed that the repeal of the Corn Laws would benefit agricultural interest
81
Which organisations were alliances proposed with in order to expand Chartist support in the early 1840s?
ACLL; Complete Suffrage Union
82
What was Peel in 1829?
Home Secretary
83
What did the Rural Police Act do and when was it?
1839. Empowered authorities in counties and boroughs to raise their own police forces, which were paid for by a local rate
84
When was the electric telegraph developed?
1840s
85
When did the electric telegraph prove to be invaluable?
1848 when government received info almost immediately about the Chartists intentions and their likely strength following the rejection of the 3rd petition.
86
When did the Whig government take strong action against the Chartists? How many were arrested roughly?
After 1839 petition and Newport Rising 1839-40. 500 Chartists arrested throughout the country.
87
When was the failure of the Irish potato crop? How many people had died by when?
1845. by 1848 1 mil had died.
88
When did Napier let go of the command of the Northern District?
1841- took command of a body of troops in India
89
Major General Napier
Displayed an active sympathy for the poor for many years; his sensible command prevented a second Peterloo
90
When was Napier appointed to command troops in the Northern district? How many troops?
April 1839. 4000 troops.
91
What was Napier's strategy? (3)
1 - Divided his force into 3 large detachments
2 - Positioned around the north and close to major industrial centres
3 - Refused to take provocative measures
92
What eased Napier's fears about possible violence?
Kersal Moor meeting, May 1839. Napier estimated it was attended by 20,000 men and 10,000 women and children. (Altho O'Connor had claimed the attendance of 1 mil.
93
When was the first passenger railway in England opened?
1830
94
When were the two waves of railway mania and what did they lead to? What did it enable for both Chartism and Authorities?
1836-38 and 1844-46; creation of a substantial network, covering over 5,000 miles by 1850. Allowed the organisation of Chartism and spreading of ideas. Also allowed authorities to respond speedily to Chartist disturbances.
95
When was the London and Birmingham Railway opened?
1838
96
What was the Elizabethan Poor Law 1601?
Allowed the poor to remain in their own homes and claim assistance in the form of outdoor relief
97
Which three groups came together to create a national petition in support of the Six Points of the People’s Charter?
LMWA; BPU; GNU
98
When did three groups come together to create a national petition in support of the Six Points of the People’s Charter?
1838
99
Who drew up the Six Points of the People’s Charter?
William Lovett
100
When was support for the Chartist movement very popular?
In times of economic hardship and high unemployment
101
Who did Chartism never succeed in drawing to its ranks?
Highly skilled workers; farm workers in rural counties
102
Why was it a surprise that many women supported Chartism?
It would not embrace female suffrage
103
Why had many middle-class supporters left Chartism by 1839?
Alienated by the threatening language of a number of its speakers
104
What is an important reason for the failure of Chartism?
Determination of Whig and Tory governments to resist radical demands and oppose Chartist violence by any means at their disposal
105
When was the Metropolitan Police in London founded?
1829
106
What were the Six Points of the People’s Charter?
Universal male suffrage; secret ballot; constituencies of equal size; abolition of property qualifications for MPs; annual parliaments; payment of MPs
107
When were the Six Points of the People’s Charter approved?
August 1838
108
Where were the Six Points of the People’s Charter approved?
At a meeting of leading radicals in Birmingham
109
What pushed many working people towards radical politics after 1832?
Disillusion with the Reform Act; Whig government
110
When were there trade depressions that contributed to the interest in Chartism (3)?
1839; 1842; 1848
111
How did the Chartists feel about many of the policies carried out by the Whigs post-1832?
Strongly opposed to them
112
Why did the Chartists feel as if the Whigs didn’t support them?
Attacks on issues such as the rights of trade unions; failure to provide effective reform of factory conditions
113
When was the Irish Coercion Act?
1833
114
What had freed Irish Catholics from most of their civil disabilities?
Catholic Relief Act 1829
115
What was the Irish Coercion Act 1833?
One of most repressive pieces of Irish legislation of the 19th century—Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was given wide powers to suppress any public meetings; arbitrary arrest became commonplace; offenders were to be tried by court martial rather than in the civil courts
116
How did radicals feel about the Irish Coercion Act 1833?
Shocked radicals throughout Britain—they feared that if Whigs were prepared to act so harshly in Ireland, they might impose similar restrictions on British radicalism. They demonstrated against the act, marking the first stage of radical revival that allowed for the emergence of Chartism.
117
When was the government’s determination to limit the power of trade unions confirmed?
Glasgow weavers’ strike of 1837, which led to 18 leaders of the Spinners’ Union being tried on various charges and sentenced to 7 years transportation
118
When was the war of the unstamped?
1831–36
119
When had newspapers been taxed since?
1712
120
Why had newspapers always been taxed?
To restrict their circulation and keep them out of the hands of ordinary people
121
When had Britain imposed stamp duties on the American colonies?
1765
122
What had the imposition of stamp duties on the American colonies contributed to?
American Revolution of 1775
123
Who founded ‘The Poor Man’s Guardian’?
Henry Hetherington
124
When was ‘The Poor Man’s Guardian’ founded?
1831
125
What was ‘The Poor Man’s Guardian’? What price did it sell for? Stat on its circulation?
Unstamped newspaper sold for one penny; had a weekly circulation of 220,000 copies within 2 years
126
What did the government reduce the stamp tax on newspapers to originally?
1 penny
127
Why did the government reduce and eventually abolish the stamp tax on newspapers?
Sustained pressure from Henry Hetherington and other radicals
128
When did the government abolish the stamp tax on newspapers?
1836
129
How did the war of the unstamped (tax on newspapers) embolden those hoping for political reform?
Revealed that a co-ordinated campaign of extra-parliamentary pressure could force a change in government policies
130
Who specifically was inspired by the war of the unstamped?
William Lovett
131
What did Hetherington help to draw up?
People’s Charter
132
What did Sir Robert Peel sponsor in the early 1820s?
Measures to limit the hours children under 16 could work in cotton factories—but without a system of regular inspections they were largely ignored
133
When was the slave trade abolished?
1807
134
When was slavery abolished in Britain?
1833
135
What did the Factory Act entail and when was it?
1833. Factory owners could not employ children under the age of 9; those aged 9–18 could work for a maximum of 12 hours; child workers were to be given some education; 4 inspectors appointed to enforce the Act
136
Why did the Whigs primarily introduce the Factory Act?
Weaken appeal of Ten Hours movement
137
What was the Ten Hour movement?
Short Time Committees in 1830 in Yorkshire and Lancashire campaigned for a ten-hour day for all factory workers
138
Why were the Short Time Committees disappointed by the Factory Act 1833?
They had hoped that legislation would be introduced to regulate adult employment
139
Which measure passed by the Whigs in the 1830s produced the most sustained opposition and resistance?
Poor Law Amendment 1834
140
Where did the Poor Law Amendment 1834 meet the most resistance?
Northern towns
141
What was provision for poor relief governed by until 1834?
Elizabethan Poor Law 1601
142
Why did the government amend the old Poor Law?
Population had more than doubled since 1601; several areas of the country had been transformed by industrialisation; old Poor law very expensive; frequent calls for reform from middle-class ratepayers
143
What did the Poor Law Amendment 1834 introduce?
A new principle of poor relief, that of ‘less eligibility’; workhouses. Meaning those who sought relief would recieve less than the lowest paid worker.
144
When was the Poor Law Amendment 1834 applied in the agricultural south?
From 1836—met with little serious opposition
145
Why was the Poor Law Amendment not suited to the economic conditions in the industrial towns?
Trade cycles
146
When was the Poor Law Amendment 1834 extended to the northern towns?
1837
147
When was the economic depression in the north?
1838–42
148
When did Anti-Poor Law Committees flourish from?
1837
149
When was there a food riot in Stockport that led to an attack on the town’s workhouse?
1842
150
When was the LMWA formed and what is its full name?
1836. London Working Men's Association.
151
Who formed the LMWA?
William Lovett
152
What was the membership of the LMWA like?
Small membership of a few hundred politically aware artisans, such as tailors and other craftsmen
153
What was the monthly membership fee of the LMWA?
One shilling
154
What were the aims of the LMWA?
Promotion of political and social rights; development of educational opportunities for all
155
What was the East London Democratic Organisation and when was it formed?
Formed in 1837 – appealed to the poorer members of the working class; prepared to use physical force
156
When did the ELDO (East London Democratic Organisation) oppose the LMWA until?
Until the National Charter Association was founded in 1840, at which time it became part of this new body
157
What type of force did the LMWA promote?
Moral force
158
When did Lovett and his radical colleagues draft a series of proposals that became the People’s Charter?
May 1837
159
When had the BPU originally declined in importance?
Once the Reform Act had passed into law
160
Why did Attwood reorganise the BPU?
In response to the depression that hit several Midland towns that year
161
Why did the BPU fail to secure widespread support at first?
Its modest demands focused on household rather than universal suffrage
162
When did Attwood relaunch the BPU on a more radical programme?
November 1837
163
What did the more radical programme of the BPU include?
Universal suffrage, which would be presented to parliament, backed by a huge national petition
164
Who formed the GNU and what was its full name?
Feargus O’Connor. Great Northern Union.
165
When was O’Connor elected for County Cork as MP?
1832
166
When was O’Connor disqualified as an MP?
1835
167
Why was O’Connor disqualified as an MP?
He did not possess the necessary property qualifications
168
When did O’Connor tour northern England and establish several local radical associations?
Late 1835
169
Why did O’Connor gain widespread support in the northern towns?
Brilliant and persuasive orator
170
Who supported O’Connor?
Unskilled English workers; growing number of Irish immigrants working in the industrial north
171
When was the GNU established?
O’Connor combined his different organisations into the GNU in 1837
172
What was O’Connor’s newspaper called?
Northern Star
173
What was the circulation of the ‘Northern Star’ in 1839?
Over 50,000
174
What was the initial circulation of the ‘Northern Star’?
10,000
175
When did the LMWA and the BPU attend a mass meeting in Glasgow of 200,000 people?
May 1838
176
Why did O’Connor not take up the cause of the People’s Charter immediately?
He did not wish to lose control of the GNU; deep personal disagreements with Lovett
177
Why did Lovett disapprove of O’Connor?
O’Connor’s deliberate courting of unskilled workers; fiery language of his speeches; his egotism
178
When did the GNU adopt the People’s Charter and the national petition?
At the Birmingham meeting in August 1838
179
Why did O’Connor change his mind about the People’s Charter?
He realised that Chartism was gaining widespread national support that could easily diminish the GNU
180
When was the National Convention?
February 1839
181
What did Lovett and the LMWA view the People’s Charter as?
Primarily a political document; reaction to Reform Act and Whig government’s policies
182
What did many supporters in the Midlands believe that Chartism was there for?
Economic rather than political factors – wage levels
183
When was one of the largest meetings of Chartists?
Kersal Moor outside Manchester in September 1838
184
How many people attended the Kersal Moor Chartist meeting in 1838?
50,000
185
What were most of the delegates at the National Convention?
Shopkeepers, tradesmen, doctors, newspaper editors
186
What divided the Chartists at the National Convention?
Sort of action Chartists should take after the petition was rejected
187
What were examples of peaceful protest suggested at the National Convention?
‘Exclusive dealing’; ‘sacred month’
188
Why was the suggestion of a ‘sacred month’ not accepted by everyone at the National Convention?
It carried with it the possibility that violence might be used
189
When did Chartists hold a meeting in the Bull Ring, challenging a ban on such meetings imposed by local magistrates?
July 1839
190
What led to Lovett’s arrest and imprisonment?
He prompted the Convention to denounce the police action used at the Bull Ring
