Causes of Chartism

Question 1

When was the Great Reform Act?

Answer 1

1832

Question 2

What Association was formed in 1836 that heralded the beginnings of the Chartist movement?

Answer 2

The London Working Men’s Association

Question 3

When was the People’s Charter published?

Answer 3

1838

Question 4

When was the First Chartist petition presented to parliament?

Answer 4

1839

Question 5

What were the 6 points on the People’s Charter?

Answer 5

Vote for all men, secret ballot, payment for MPs, no property qualification for MPs, equal constitutencies, annual parliaments

Question 6

What was presented to parliament by the Chartists in 1842?

Answer 6

2nd Chartist Petition

Question 7

Who drew up the Chartist Land Plan?

Answer 7

Fergus O’Connor

Question 8

When was the Third and final Chartist petition presented to parliament?

Answer 8

1848

Question 9

What was Chartism?

Answer 9

A broad based political and social movement 1836-1850

Question 10

Why did the Great Reform Act create the Chartist movement?

Answer 10

Because, although they had joined with the middle-classes to demand reform of the political system they did not gain from the act.

Question 11

What 2 other acts of parliament contributed to the rise of Chartism in the 1830s?

Answer 11

Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Factory Act 1833

Question 12

Who founded the London Working Men’s Association?

Answer 12

William Lovett, Thomas Attwood

Question 13

What were the Plug Pot Riots of 1842?

Answer 13

Striking boilermen removed the boiler plugs of steam engines to stop factories running

Question 14

What section of the working-class made up the majority of Chartists?

Answer 14

Craftsmen and skilled workers

Question 15

Name 2 ‘moral force’ chartists.

Answer 15

William Lovett, Thomas Attwood

Question 16

Name 2 ‘physical force’ chartists.

Answer 16

Fergus O’Connor, James Bronterre O’Brien, George Julian Harney

Question 17

How many signatures did the First Chartist petition hold?

Answer 17

1,230,958

Question 18

In a debate in the House of Commons to consider the First Chartist petition by how many votes was it defeated?

Answer 18

235 to 46 votes

Question 19

What happened during the ‘ sacred month’ of the Chartists in 1839

Answer 19

General strike, protests, rallies

Question 20

What was the Newport Rising, when and where did it occur?

Answer 20

Armed rising of 5,000 miners in South Wales in protest at failure of First petition and working condition in the pits, November 1839

Question 21

After the Newport Rising how many Chartist leaders were imprisoned 1839-1841?

Answer 21

500

Question 22

Parliament rejected the Second Chartist petition by an increased majority in 1842. TRUE/FALSE

Answer 22

TRUE – only 43 votes in favour this time

Question 23

How many subscribers signed up to the Land Plan in 1845?

Answer 23

70,000

Question 24

What did the Land Plan propose?

Answer 24

To give land to working-class families in rural areas

Question 25

Which newspaper, published in Leeds was the voice piece of the Chartist movement and who published it?

Answer 25

The Northern Star, Fergus O’Connor

Question 26

Why was the government particularly scared at the re-emergence of Chartism in 1848? Give 2 reasons

Answer 26

Revolutions abroad, falling wages, slump in trade, unemployment

Question 27

How did the government react to the Kennington Common Rally of the Chartists in 1848?

Answer 27

150,000 special constables, banned the meeting, refused to allow the parade to present the Third Petition

Question 28

On what grounds was the Third Petition rejected?

Answer 28

Many of the 5,000,000 signatures were fake

Question 29

What is ‘hunger politics’?

Answer 29

Unrest caused by economic hardship

Question 30

Aside from leadership what other reasons are given for the failure of Chartism? Give 3 reasons.

Answer 30

Government repression, divided aims, aims were too ambitious, violence, problems with organisation, divided membership, improvments to the economic conditions of the working-class, lack of funds, lack of middle-class support

Question 31

What 2 acts undermined the Chartist movement between 1846 and 1847?

Answer 31

Repeal of Corn Laws 1846
10 Hour Act 1847

Question 32

What network did the government take advantage of to supress Chartism and how did they do it?

Answer 32

The railways from 1830s onwards used to deploy troops especially in the north

Question 33

By 1873 how many of the Chartist’s demands had been met?

Answer 33

3 - Secret Ballot Act 1872
- Reform Act 1867 (some skilled w-c get vote)
- No property qualifications 1858

Question 34

When was the penny post introduced and why was it important?

Answer 34

1840, system of pre-paid postage revolutionised communications

Question 35

Why is Chartism often described as ‘hunger politics’?

Answer 35

Because Britain suffered economic hardship/downturn in 1839, 1842, 1848 – all high points of Chartist activity