Chartism c1838 - c1850. Flashcards
Who were the Chartists?
The Chartists were a group of radical reformers who sought to achieve further constitutional change. They formed in London in 1838, but really they originated in a number of other groups of people:
- London Working Men’s association.
- Six radical MPs who supported reform.
- Reformist groups who had campaigned for a free, unstamped press following the Reform Act.
What were the Chartists’ aims?
- Universal suffrage for men over 21 with sound mind who were not criminals.
- Secret ballots in elections.
- Abolition of the property qualification for MPs.
- Introduction of salaries for MPs.
- Redrawn constituencies which should be equal in size of population.
- Annual Parliamentary elections.
Why did the Chartist movement appear?
Working class disillusionment: The Great Reform Act had been more for the middle classes than the working classes.
Failure to address reform: Neither party expressed an interest in further reform.
Impact of the Poor Law: Woefully inadequate in caring for the poor and had been open to corruption.
Poor working and living conditions: Factory Act allowed owners to continue to make industrial workers complete working weeks that were not regulated.
What was the National Convention of 1839?
The National Convention was an organised meeting of the Chartists to discuss their plans to propose their petition to Parliament.
How did the First Petition fail?
The petition was presented to Parliament in June of 1839. It had 1.2 million signatures. Parliament rejected it, 235 votes to 46. The Chartist national convention was thrown into confusion. Some wanted a national rebellion, others refused to undertake physical action. The sacred month was voted down .
What was the Newport Rising?
The only real force used by the Chartists at this point was in Newport, South Wales. John Frost, a former mayor of Newport, led 5,000 miners, some of whom were armed, in a protest march. They claimed that it was to free Chartist members from prison. They were stopped by soldiers. Twenty-four died and 125 were arrested. Between June 1839 and June 1840, over 500 Chartists were arrested. This was effective as it left the already disorganised movement leaderless.
What was the Second National convention and the Second Petitions of 1842?
A second National Convention was arranged in 1942 following economic depression and the breakdown of parts of the Poor Law system. A new petition was collected with 3.3 million signatures. It was presented to Parliament and again rejected by 287 votes to 49.
What was the Third petitition and the Kensington Common rally of 1848?
A Third National Convention was organised and a new petition prepared. Feargus O Connor claimed it had 6 million signatures, though it was less than 2 million. A peaceful march was organised on Kensington Common. The government feared violence and drafted in special constables to support the police and put the army on standby. In the end, partly due to rain, far fewer turned up and O Connor urged the Chartists to disperse. The Chartists claimed that 150,000 had attended while the government claimed it was 12,000-15,000. The government again rejected the petition.
What was the support for Chartists like in London and the South?
The initial support for the Chartist movement was from London and the South. However, in general the representatives from the South were morr moderate in their intentions. As the Chartists came to be involved with more instances of physical protest, southern support waned. Also as the Chartist movement became dominated by industrial workers who tended to be in the North of England, southern influence reduced. The South-West was never a particular source of support.
What was support for Chartists like in Birmingham?
Birmingham was a significant support for the early Chartist movement. However, as with London, the Birmingham reformers tended to be more moderate. After the riots associated with the failure of the First Petition in 1839, the BPU distanced themselves from the Chartists and support in this area fell.
What was support for Chartists like in the North?
The North was always important to the Chartist movement. This is not surprising since the worst economic areas, as well as the most obvious politically under-represented areas were in the North. Leeds, Manchester, Stockport, Newcastle and Glasgow were major centres of support.
Were the middle-class supporters of Chartism?
At the start, there were a number of middle-class supporters of the Chartist movement. Because it started with the economic problems of industrial areas, there was significant sympathy from middle class and even landed supporters. There were even middle class supporters in the first National convention. However, following the Birmingham Riots and the Newport uprising of 1839, the majority of middle-class support evaporated. Further in the North, Chartists took an anti-Corn Law League stance, which alienated middle-class support.
Were the working-class supporters of Chartism?
After 1840, the Chartist movement was extremely working-class in character. The idea of Chartism attracted skilled workers whose livelihood was being affected by economic fluctuations and who were experiencing the impact of living in unrepresented urban centres.
Were rural workers supporters of Chartism?
Rural farm workers were largely unaffected by the Chartist movement and did not particularly support it. They did not face the same circumstances as the urban workers. The Poor Law Amendment Act had in some cases benefited them, and they did not have the same problems of under-representation, though the franchise was still limited.
Were women supporters of Chartism?
A significant source of support was from women. It had been estimated that 20% of signatures on the three petititions were by women. The influence of women supporters was most important 1839 to 1842, and it started to peter out after the second petition.
