Chartism (1838-1850) Flashcards
the London Working Men’s Association was founded by __ in __
- the London Working Men’s Association was founded by Lovett in 1836
what were the 3 dates of the 3 Chartist petitions
- 1839
- 1842
- 1848
the 1st Chartist petition gained __ signatures
- the first Chartist petition gained 1.25 million signatures
the 2nd Chartist petition gained __ signatures
- the 2nd Chartist petition gained 3.3 million signatures
the 3rd Chartist petition gained __ signatures - but…
- the 3rd Chartist petition gained 5 million signatures - but many were forged; wasn’t taken seriously
- e.g. Queen Victoria’s signature was signed
When was the land plan set up
- the land plan was set up in 1845-46
the Newport Uprising was in __
- the Newport Uprising was on the 4th November 1839
1848: __ special constables were enrolled, with loyalty to the state
- 1848: 150,000 special constables were enrolled, with loyalty to the state
__ protestors were killed at the Newport Uprising
- 20 protestors were killed at the Newport Uprising
In London, __ attended the first Chartist meeting in _____ compared to __ in Manchester
- In London, 15,000 attended the first Chartist meeting in 1838 compared to 300,000 in Manchester
at Kennington Common (_) almost _ authority forces used - shows Govt’s power
- at Kennington Common (1847) almost 100,000 authority forces used - shows Govt’s power
list the 6 points of the Charter
1) universal suffrage for all men over 21yrs
2) no property qualifications for members of parliament
3) the secret ballot
4) constituencies equal in size of population
5) annual (voting for) parliaments
6) payment of MPs
General Napier controlled ___ troops in Northern Districts
- General Napier controlled 4,000 troops in Northern Districts
the Metropolitan Police force was introduced in __
- the Metropolitan Police force was introduced in 1829
in ____, the Northern Star was selling __ copies a week
- in 1839, the Northern Star was selling 50,000 copies a week
the harvest of ____ was good and the economic depression lifted - there were no serious outbreaks of unrest until ____
- the harvest of 1842-43 was good and the economic depression lifted - there were no serious outbreaks of unrest until 1848
when was the Northern Star established
- the Northern Star was established in 1837
outline the Plug Riots
- 1842
- a result of the failure of the 2nd chartist petition + poor economic conditions + wage cuts by mine owners
- strikes, mass meetings, marches, workers took out the plugs from boilers
the ____ Newport Uprising + anti-corn law league (criticised MC _____ + _____ owners) alienated __ chartists
- the 1839 Newport Uprising + anti-corn law league (criticised MC business + factory owners) alienated MC chartists
__% of signatures on the 3 chartist petitions were by _____
- 20% of signatures on the 3 chartist petitions were by women
after the 1839 Newport Uprising, Chartists learnt that ________ (violence) wasn’t a useful method and should rather go down the ______ route
- after the 1839 Newport Uprising, Chartists learnt that insurrection (violence) wasn’t a useful method and should rather go down the constitutional route
Land Plan: by ____, _____ people had subscribed and _ communities had been set up
- Land Plan: by 1848, 100,000 people had subscribed and 5 communities had been set up
what years was Chartism at its height and why
1938-9:
- the Charter was created 1838
- economic discontent: unemployment, poor working conditions, impact of Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
- 1st petition 1839: its rejection intensified anger
1848:
- economic discontent: widespread poverty + unemployment
- French revolution: another French rev in 1848 inspired chartists
what years was Chartism at its lowest and why
1843-48:
- boom in railway building increased employment
- divisions over strategy
- leaders arrested
- WC men turned to trade unions (more achievable aims)
- Conservatives showed they could reform: reducing import duties on some foods, introducing income tax
- corn Laws repealed 1846
what % of chartists were women
- 25%
when was O’Connor sent to a lunatic asylum
- 1852
who + when was the Weekly Political Register set up
- Cobbett
- in 1802
what was the National Charter Association + when was it established
- set up in 1840
- set up to be the central organisation for the Chartist movement - created a sense of unity + high membership
when was Lovett arrested
- 1839
- imprisoned for a year
when was O’Connor arrested
- 1840
- imprisoned for 18 months
who is Francis Place
- previously a radical
- involved in the LCS in the 1700s + remained active throughout the early 1800s
- most remembered for his role in Days of May
who was George Harney
- founded the London Democratic Association (LDA)
- the LDA supported the People’s Charter
- aimed to appeal to unskilled workers who favoured a confrontational approach to the Govt
who is Henry Hetherington
- a radical journalist
- played an important role in the radical press
- was the first to question the Whigs’ motives of passing the 1832 RA + the impact itself
outline the People’s Charter
- published in May 1838
- by 6 members of the LWMA
- these 6 points weren’t new - Radicals called for these changes as well
- MPs encouraged the People’s charter which was printed + widely circulated
- comprised the 6 demands that were a campaign for further reform
outline the London Working Men’s Association
- founded by Lovett in June 1836 with Radical colleagues like Place + Hetherington
- membership restricted to 100 (skilled) working men
- LWMA was a strictly WC organization - unlike BPU who was MC dominated
- the original purpose of this was education
outline the impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act as a reason for the Chartist movement
- existing poor laws from 1597 + 1601 didn’t care for the poor + were open to corruption
- the PLAA was seen as punishing the poor due to the abhorrent working conditions for the rich’s benefit
- it confirmed the Govts hostility to the WC + how little control the WC have
- led to the emergence of mass movement + start of Northern Star which played a key role in spreading Chartism
what are 5 reasons for why the Chartist movement appeared in 1838
1) WC disillusionment with 1832 GRA
2) failure of political parties to address reform
3) impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act
4) war of unstamped press
5) poor working and living conditions
outline WC disillusionment with 1832 GRA as a reason for the Chartist movement
- WC had been deliberately excluded from the franchise as Whigs believed they couldn’t be trusted with political power
- new PLT was more hostile to WC - MPs supporting WC causes (e.g. Henry Hunt) lost their seats as the newly enfranchised MC voted in their own interests
- those who had been key in campaigning for reform, only to be excluded from the franchise, felt betrayed
outline the failure of political parties to address reform as a reason for the Chartist movement
- Factory Act 1933: showed reformed PLT was opposed to factory reform
- PLT voted against shortening hours in factories + mines to 10 hours - allowed for continued WC exploitation
- the Municipal Corporations Act 1835: excluded WC from local govt
outline the war of unstamped press as a reason for the Chartist movement
- 1836: radical victory for WC when Whig Govt reduced tax on newspapers (making them again affordable for WC to afford)
- this was an important victory as an active radical press was vital to spread ideas + showed how focused organized campaigns could win results
how far was Chartism based on economic problems
- based in the northern industrial regions of Britain
- this was where poverty was a major concern; work days were very long, poor unregulated conditions
- The Factory Act 1833 failed to set limits on the length of a working day - labourer’s worked very long for little money
- this was exacerbated by the trade depression in 1837 which left many unemployed
- the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 ensured there were no alternative systems than the work house - meaning a life of poverty and hardship
outline poor working + living conditions as a reason for the Chartist movement
- terrible conditions in factories + mines were unaddressed
- trade depression in 1837-42 causes further economic hardship
- life expectancy of a laborer in Liverpool was 15 years
why did the WC and Women become Chartists
- WC: want better working conditions + don’t want to be replaced by machinery
- Women: want better working conditions + don’t want to be separated from their children in factories
outline Chartist support in the Industrial North
- support: was at its most militant in the expanding textile towns of Manchester + Yorkshire - textile industry was most likely to be overtaken by machinery
- lack of support: was weaker in industrial centers of Leeds + Sheffield where too many trades were affected by depressions - not one united industry - harder to act as a force, arrange meetings, have collective aims
outline Chartist support in the Midlands
- support: at its most militant in singly industry towns - handloom weavers, who were threatened by machinery, were the backbone of support
- lack of support: Birmingham Political Union (BPU) had significant support for Chartism - but after failure of 1st petition, support decreased
outline Chartist support in Liverpool
- support: Chartist committee was dominated by skilled workers, 20+ workers were Irish Catholics - less cohesion amongst WC
- lack of support: support was lower in Liverpool than in other cities
outline Chartist support in East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex)
- lack of support: limited support - East Anglia amounted to less than 1% of Chartists
- this was many due to agricultural labourers who didn’t face the same issues as industrial workers - e.g. some benefitted from the Poor Law Amendment Act (agricultural workers)
outline Chartist support in London
- support: came to popularity in the 1840s due to economic depression, but support declined after 1842 as economy improved
- lack of support: lacked the community of industrial towns, London Chartists were divided - only 15,000 attended the first Ch meeting - London workers had higher wages + protection from unemployment increases in 1830s
outline Chartist support in Scotland
- support: strong support in Scottish industrial areas, especially after Govt suppression of weaver strikes in 1830s
- lack of support: ion Glasgow, it hadn’t experienced full severity of depression, was no Poor Law Amendment Act + industries were growing - less - but still some - Ch support
outline Chartist support in Wales
- lack of support: miners in South Wales were turned away from Chartism following the 1839 Newport Rising - they turned to Trade Unions
outline Chartist support in Ireland
- lack of support: limited support as the Catholic Church opposed Chartism
who were strong supporters of Chartism
- handloom weavers
- (WC) women
- the working class
- factory workers at threat of machinery taking their jobs
- skilled workers (e.g. tailors, artisans)
who were weak supporters of Chartism
- rural labourers
- landowners/ aristocracy
- the middle class scared of chartist
what are 3 aspects of Chartism being a national movement
- exists across the country
- represents different groups and interests
- is organised + coherent
outline supporting evidence that Chartism existed across the country
- had widespread support - esp during 1838-9
- was popular in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Newcastle, Scotland, Wales (pre Newport Uprising)
outline disagreeing evidence that Chartism existed across the country
- had inconsistent regional support - e.g. very limited support in East Anglia
- after 1842, it was a regional - not national - movement
outline supporting evidence that Chartism represented different groups + interests
- diverse support in early years (1838-9) - different groups of workers, WC and MC + women and men
outline disagreeing evidence that Chartism represented different groups + interests
- diversity was exaggerated
- core support was mainly from skilled workers threatened by machinery - e.g. handloom weavers
- 1839 NR violence drove away MC support
outline supporting evidence that Chartism was organised + coherent
- clear signs of organization;
- Charter (clear aims), National Convention 1839, NCA of affiliated branches, Northern Star (3.6K circulation), agreement + petition strategy
outline disagreeing evidence that Chartism was organised + coherent
- support is dependent on economic conditions
- lacked one strategic + decisive leader
- unorganized at times - e.g. Scared Month 1839, Plug Riots 1842
what was the general Govt response to Chartism
- until 1939, there was little direct action against the Chartists
- although the Whig Govt (1835-41) didn’t agree with Chartist demands, they values the freedom of ideas and so took no initial action against Chartism
- but, from 1839, both Whig + Tory Govts realized the substantial threat posed by Chartism to national stability. 1832 GRA saw unity amongst MC + UC men
- they feared the consequences of accepting the Charter far more than the danger of turning it down
outline the police force as a govt response to Chartism
- 1829: the Metropolitan Police Force was introduced - it consisted of a single, professional and uniformed force of 1,000 men
- they could suppress disorder without having to resort to violence
- the 1839 Rural Police Act allowed local authorities to raise their own police force
outline the electric telegraph as a govt response to Chartism
- was developed in the 1840s to enable communication between London and spies to become quicker
- it gave the Govt better knowledge of what was happening in different parts of the country + enabled them to deploy troops + police more effectively - they became a more united front
outline the arrests of leaders as a govt response to Chartism
- after the 1839 petition + Newport Rising, 500 Chartists were arrested during 1839-40
- prominent leaders such as Lovett were arrested, leaving the Chartist movement without consistent leadership needed to sustain momentum
outline the use of rail networks as a govt response to Chartism
- ‘Railway Mania’ in the 1830s + 40s led to a network of lines covering 5,000+ miles by 1850
- this allowed authorities to quickly respond to chartist disturbances throughout the country
- meant that Chartist protests struggled to get started before troops arrived to disperse them
outline Major General Napier as a govt response to Chartism
- in April 1839, Napier was appointed to command 4,000 troops in the 11 counties that comprised the Northern district
- he sympathised with the poor, but still partly followed orders
- e.g. Napier’s refusal to confront the Chartists during the strike action meant that peace was maintained during the few days of striking
what were the achievements of William Lovett
- founded the LWMA
- wrote the Six Point Charter
- was arrested in 1839 following the Birmingham riots + spent 1 year imprisoned for seditious libel
- a leading member of the National Convention
- created a scheme called the National Association for the Moral Social and Political Improvement of the People
what’s an example of authorities utilising the rail network to supress Chartists
- in July 1839, 60 police were quickly dispatched from London to deal with the crowd in Birmingham + played a key role in suppressing + dispersing the protest
what were the achievements of O’Connor
- O’Connor established the Northern Star - helped transform Chartism into national movement
- imprisoned for 18 months for seditious libel (written defamation)
- set up Chartist Land Plan
- was elected as MP for Nottingham in 1847 - the only Chartist to be elected
- he presented the 1848 petition as MP
what was the Northern Star
- established by O’Connor in 1837
- was the most widely read Chartist journal
- NS helped to maintain Ch as a national + unified political force
- O’Connor hired people in different regions so that they could report for the paper
- profits of the paper was used to pay the expenses for Chartists on trial + supporting the families of those imprisoned
what were criticisms of O’Connor
- Lovett + other moral force Chartists criticised the violence of his language + how he raised expectations of listeners
- accused of being arrogant
- his land plan was impractical + a failure
- his language of violence narrowed support (MC)
what were Lovett’s beliefs and attitudes
- post prison release, Lovett focused more on educational reform + self help (‘knowledge Chartism’)
- he proposed a national system of education - it was essential to educate the WC
- strongly associated with moral force Chartism - clashed with O’Connor over Ch rhetoric
- L believed WC men would get the vote if they could demonstrate they’re responsible + deserving of it
- Lovett possessed a clear intellect essential to the movement
what are criticisms of Lovett
- O’Connor disapproved of Lovett’s 1840 scheme (NAftMSPI) - O’C successfully excluded Lovett from mainstream Chartism by 1842
- his methods were too passive + didn’t come up with alternatives
- his arrest disrupted movement
- he diluted Chartist aims through his campaigns
outline divided leadership + unorganisation as a weakness of the Chartist movement
- O’Connor’s leadership style was decisive + frightened away MC support
- the tactical conflict between Lovett + O’Connor caused divisions - e.g. moral vs physical force, O’C denouncing L from the Northern Star
- they were unorganized; were unprepared for failure of petitions (Scared Month)
- BUT their organization was impressive given their constraints - e.g. size of petitions, organization of Nat Conv etc
- their use of violence + threats enabled a harsh govt response
outline class + regional divisions as a weakness of the Chartist movement
- lack of MC support was a key weakness
- lacked their funds, respectability, experience in organizational/ leadership roles, influence on Govt, numbers
- were regional divisions - not completely cohesive
outline their aims as a weakness of the Chartist movement
- a movement with political aims but support stemming from economic conditions is likely to struggle
- their aims were over ambitious
outline dependence on economic conditions as a weakness of the Chartist movement
- Chartism popularity fluctuated with economic recession + bad harvests
- their key supporters were from handloom weavers/ artisans - but their numbers were in decline
outline self-inflicted damage as a weakness of the Chartist movement
- the Chartist’s status as an umbrella movement diluted their cause due to mix of support from varying groups + regional divisions (e.g. religion, education, teetotalism, political, trade societies, ACLL)
- their use of violence + threats (e.g. Newport Rising) scared away MC supporters + enabled a harsh govt response - BUT there were rarely violence
- (not self-inflicted but) their resources don’t compare to the Govts - they have NS but support depends on number of supporters (which it was constrained by)
what was the Chartist Land Plan
- aimed to make WC people self sufficient + improve their quality of life
- it set up peasant holdings and converted workers into farmers
- despite its popular support, it was shut down from a legal technicality
what were the beliefs and attributes of O’Connor
- he represented the ‘physical force’ aspect of Chartism: to him the language/ threat of violence was part of the political strategy
- but he did know that working men couldn’t defeat soldiers so usually supported peaceful methods
- he was a powerful orator, charismatic, a ‘guiding force of the movement’
outline Parliament as an aspect of the power of the state
- PLT wasn’t concerned with giving Chartists reform at the expense of giving up their aristocratic power
- was united opposition across the parties to the 6 point charter
- no sympathy for reforming the working class
- their low turnout for votes on their petitions + decisive votes against shows how little the Chartists had support in PLT
outline experience, organization and tactics as an aspect of the power of the state
- the Govt had experience with dealing with riots + protests - e.g. Peterloo (+ not to create martyrs)
- new, professional police forces + resources were used to efficiently deal with Chartist outbreaks - like Newport
- Govt could command huge numbers - e.g. 85,00 special constables
- e.g. the effectiveness of Napier’s sympathetic + restrained response in NR + 1839-41 in the North was successful - he prevented violence
outline resources + infrastructure as an aspect of the power of the state
- the 1830s-40s were a period of railway development - Govt made use of them to transport troops
- their use of arrests judiciously leaders (imprisoned for short terms) successfully disrupted movement without creating martyrs
- e.g. electric telegraph (ease communication), railway (transport troops), metropolitan police force (maintain control), weapons, money, legislative power
outline successful reforms as an aspect of the power of the state
- the Whigs, in making the 1832 GRA, divided the MC from a powerful alliance with the WC
- placed the MC above the WC
- Poor Law + Municipal Corporations ensures Govt support from MC
outline other tangible benefits as an achievement of the Chartists
- O’Connor provided Chartists with more respectability + land ownership (Land Plan) - evidence of creativity + adaptability of movement
- Chartism gave the WC political literacy + a voice through Northern Star
outline the development of WC consciousness, solidarity and focus as an achievement of the Chartists
- Chartism was the first WC movement that gave the WC a sense of purpose
- people related and understood their oppression
- now, united working people could make a difference collectively
outline the development of WC political organisation as an achievement of the Chartists
- the National Convention showed organization + their ability to maintain a political forum (focused movement)
- the National Charter provided clear concise aims
outline securing significant political change as an achievement of the Chartists
- didn’t secure any significant political change
- the 1832 GRA secured change - but for the MC
- no other significant reform until 1867
outline the Municipal Corporations Act
- passed in 1835
- it excluded the WC from local Govts
outline Kennington Common
- took place in 1848
- for presentation of the 3rd Chartist petition, O’Connor organized a mass meeting
- was a crowd of 50,000
- O’Connor met with the PM Russell where he presented the petition - it was rejected
when was the final Chartist Convention/ the end of the movement
- 1858
- although, the movement was in decline after 1848
