Chartism basics Flashcards
what were the origins of chartism?
- Disillusionment after 1832
- William Lovett, LWMA and Thomas Atwood assume key roles
- put together six points of the charter, and begin the petitions
How did chartism initially pick up pace?
- Joined by activists such as Feargus O’Connor (who had been resisting the poor law in the north)
- Municipal Corporations Act suggested laws pass to benefit those enfranchised in 1832
How did the first petition come about?
- Signatures collected at mass meetings
- Delegates appointed to national convention
- over 200,000 attended each of these meetings
- such events advertised in Northern Star (sold 50,000 copies per week)
Describe the nature of the first petition
- National Convention met in Feb 1839 claiming to represent all people
- collected 1.25 million signatures
- unprecedented size of petition and national coordination
How did the government react to the first petition?
July 1839
rejected by 235 votes to 46
less than half of MPs bothered to attend
What was the significance of the Northern Star?
- chartism emerged and sustained itself as a national movement
- O’Connor used profits to finance movement and build up defense funds for trials
- often read aloud to groups who shared the subscription cost
How did the National Convention evolve?
- became a discussion forum for strategy and how to react to rejection
- revealed disagreement and divisions (m/c vs w/c, moral vs physical force)
What was the sacred month?
- After the first petition was rejected, the NC hastily formed the idea of a general strike
- No local plans were made, and the idea lacked general support
- Authorities were careful nit to provide justification for a violent reaction
What was the Newport rising (1839)?
- 10,000 marched from south wales to Newport, mostly miners and iron workers
- armed and marching in military formation
- shots were exchanged with a small group of troops, 20 protesters killed
How did the government react to the Newport rising (1839)?
- local leaders including John Frost were convicted of treason and sentenced to death (changed to transportation to avoid martyrs)
- Lovett arrested after Birmingham riots
- O’Connor and other prominent chartists imprisoned
How did the chartists react to the Newport rising (1839)?
- learnt dangers of violence
- destroyed myths soldiers would not fire on them
- working class agitation directed down a constitutional path
What was the National Charter Association (NCA)?
- O’Connor helped form it in July 1840
- provided central organisation that chartism lacked
- first wc political party
- created sense of unity
how successful was the National Charter Association (NCA)?
- 1d weekly subscription, wide membership
- by 1842 : 400 affiliated branches, 50,000 members
What new directions did chartism assume in its second stage (1840-42)?
- In some areas ‘chartist culture’ emerged e.g. Nottingham
- Henry Vincent (welsh chartist leader) turned to teetotalism
- Move to christian chartism in Birmingham
- Lovett advocated knowledge chartism, which O’Connor denounced in the northern star
What was the complete suffrage movement?
- Attempt to unite the mc radical reformers with the chartists
- leaders such as Joseph Sturge were willing to work with Lovett but wary of O’Connor
- disagreed over tactics and failed
How did the Second Petition work out?
- 3 million signatures
- rejected by 287 votes to 49
- NC had no agreed alternative strategy
- ineffectiveness of peaceful petitioning shown
