Chartism - The Role of Individuals in the Chartist Movement Flashcards
William Lovett - Who was Lovett and what values did he have?
Lovett was a pro-reformer who had met both Henry Hunt and William Cobbett, with strongly pro-peace values – within the Chartist movement this became central to Lovett’s views and caused differences with other Chartist leaders
William Lovett - What was Lovett a founding member and secretary of?
Lovett was a founding member and secretary of the London Working Men’s Association and was key to authoring the six points of the People’s Charter
William Lovett - What did Lovett become secretary of and what did his non-violent stance lead to?
He became the secretary for the national convention and his non-violent stance contributed to the confused split felt after the failure of the first petition in 1839
William Lovett - What happened to Lovett for his role in the Birmingham riots?
Ironically, Lovett was then arrested during the Birmingham riots in which Chartists protested the use of police violence – he spent a little over a year in prison during which time he wrote letters and a book to direct the Chartist movement
William Lovett - What happened after the first national convention?
After the first national Convention, Lovett still continued to play a role in the Chartist movement – he focused on trying to unite the working-class and middle class movements by working closely with the Birmingham based Universal Suffrage Association
William Lovett - What hindered Lovett’s influence?
However, Lovett was hindered in his influence by the division among the leadership, notably through the opposition of O’Connor, who attacked him repeatedly in the Northern Star
William Lovett - What did Lovett get side-tracked by?
Lovett also got side-tracked into other concerns such as campaigning to improve education and joining the Anti-Slavery League
Feargus O’Connor - Who was O’Connor and what was his past?
O’Connor was an Irishman with a chequered past – he had been a lawyer, then an Irish MP until being disqualified for failing the property qualification, then he became the owner of Leeds-based newspaper the Northern Star
Feargus O’Connor - Good things about O’Connor?
On one hand, O’Connor was very charismatic as a leader and attracted many working-class supporters with his speeches drawing huge crowds
Feargus O’Connor - When did his reputation grow?
His reputation grew when we served 18 months in prison for sedition, during which time he smuggled letters out to publish in his Northern Star
Feargus O’Connor - The role of the Northern Star?
The Northern Star was essential as the main means of transmitting Chartist ideas between the various national groups, selling 36,000 copies weekly
Feargus O’Connor - When did O’Connor serve as an MP and what did this allow?
O’Connor also served as an MP in 1847, which gave him influence – he created the National Charter Association in 1840, which revived the movement after the failure of the first petition
Feargus O’Connor - What was the National Charter Association claiming by 1842?
By 1842, the National Charter Association claimed to have 400 branches and 50,000 members
Feargus O’Connor - Problems with O’Connor?
On the other hand, O’Connor was deeply divisive – his political ideas were unfocused and varied from speech to speech and he argued with almost every Chartist leader
Feargus O’Connor - What did he write about other Chartist leaders?
He wrote articles that criticised them and damaged their reputations, describing the other leaders as artisans, rather than real members of the industrial working classes