Causes of Chartism Flashcards
When was the Great Reform Act?
1832
What Association was formed in 1836 that heralded the beginnings of the Chartist movement?
The London Working Men’s Association
When was the People’s Charter published?
1838
When was the First Chartist petition presented to parliament?
1839
What were the 6 points on the People’s Charter?
Vote for all men, secret ballot, payment for MPs, no property qualification for MPs, equal constitutencies, annual parliaments
What was presented to parliament by the Chartists in 1842?
2nd Chartist Petition
Who drew up the Chartist Land Plan?
Fergus O’Connor
When was the Third and final Chartist petition presented to parliament?
1848
What was Chartism?
A broad based political and social movement 1836-1850
Why did the Great Reform Act create the Chartist movement?
Because, although they had joined with the middle-classes to demand reform of the political system they did not gain from the act.
What 2 other acts of parliament contributed to the rise of Chartism in the 1830s?
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Factory Act 1833
Who founded the London Working Men’s Association?
William Lovett, Thomas Attwood
What were the Plug Pot Riots of 1842?
Striking boilermen removed the boiler plugs of steam engines to stop factories running
What section of the working-class made up the majority of Chartists?
Craftsmen and skilled workers
Name 2 ‘moral force’ chartists.
William Lovett, Thomas Attwood
Name 2 ‘physical force’ chartists.
Fergus O’Connor, James Bronterre O’Brien, George Julian Harney
How many signatures did the First Chartist petition hold?
1,230,958
In a debate in the House of Commons to consider the First Chartist petition by how many votes was it defeated?
235 to 46 votes
What happened during the ‘ sacred month’ of the Chartists in 1839
General strike, protests, rallies
What was the Newport Rising, when and where did it occur?
Armed rising of 5,000 miners in South Wales in protest at failure of First petition and working condition in the pits, November 1839
After the Newport Rising how many Chartist leaders were imprisoned 1839-1841?
500
Parliament rejected the Second Chartist petition by an increased majority in 1842. TRUE/FALSE
TRUE – only 43 votes in favour this time
How many subscribers signed up to the Land Plan in 1845?
70,000
What did the Land Plan propose?
To give land to working-class families in rural areas
Which newspaper, published in Leeds was the voice piece of the Chartist movement and who published it?
The Northern Star, Fergus O’Connor
Why was the government particularly scared at the re-emergence of Chartism in 1848? Give 2 reasons
Revolutions abroad, falling wages, slump in trade, unemployment
How did the government react to the Kennington Common Rally of the Chartists in 1848?
150,000 special constables, banned the meeting, refused to allow the parade to present the Third Petition
On what grounds was the Third Petition rejected?
Many of the 5,000,000 signatures were fake
What is ‘hunger politics’?
Unrest caused by economic hardship
Aside from leadership what other reasons are given for the failure of Chartism? Give 3 reasons.
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
What 2 acts undermined the Chartist movement between 1846 and 1847?
Repeal of Corn Laws 1846
10 Hour Act 1847
What network did the government take advantage of to supress Chartism and how did they do it?
The railways from 1830s onwards used to deploy troops especially in the north
By 1873 how many of the Chartist’s demands had been met?
3 - Secret Ballot Act 1872
- Reform Act 1867 (some skilled w-c get vote)
- No property qualifications 1858
When was the penny post introduced and why was it important?
1840, system of pre-paid postage revolutionised communications
Why is Chartism often described as ‘hunger politics’?
Because Britain suffered economic hardship/downturn in 1839, 1842, 1848 – all high points of Chartist activity
