Chartism - Who were the Chartists, what did they want, and why did the movement appear? Flashcards
Who were the Chartists?
The Chartists were a group of radical reformers who sought to achieve further Constitutional change
Which groups did the Chartists originate from?
The originated through a number of groups, including the London Working Men’s Association, the Birmingham Political Union, and the Great Northern Union
What did the Chartists want?
They wanted to see the Six Points of the People’s Charter passed into law
What were the six points of the People’s Charter?
1) Universal suffrage for all men over 21 with sound mind who were not criminals
2) Secret ballot in elections
3) Abolition of the property qualification for MPs
4) Introduction of salaries for MPs
5) Redrawn constituencies, which should be equal in size of pop
6) Annual Parliamentary elections
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Working class disillusionment with the Great Reform Act - Who did the Great Reform Act extend the franchise to?
Although the Great Reform Act had extended the franchise and made inroads into improved representation, this had been for the middle classes rather than the working classes
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Working class disillusionment with the Great Reform Act - Was this a deliberate ploy and why?
This had been a deliberate ploy by the Whigs, a way of reforming in order to maintain the existing social order, as well as a belief on the part of some that the working classes could not be relied upon to exercise political power
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Working class disillusionment with the Great Reform Act - What was the working class reaction to the Great Reform Act?
For many in the working classes, this was a disappointment
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Failure of the political parties to address further reform - What did the Whigs and Tories see the Great Reform Act as?
Both the Whigs and the Tories were clear that they saw the Great Reform Act, which had extended the vote to middle-class men, as a unique event and also the full extent of change necessary
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Failure of the political parties to address further reform - Significance of the protests surrounding the Great Reform Act?
Neither party expressed an interest in further reform, yet the protests that has pushed King William IV and the House of Lords to accept the act had been by the middle classes with working class support, of whom the majority sought universal suffrage
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Failure of the political parties to address further reform - What did the attitude of the two parties mean for those who wanted further reform?
For those who wanted further reform, it removed the possibility of this happening within Parliament, and made extra-Parliamentary protest necessary
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act - What were the existing poor laws like?
The existing poor laws of 1597 and 1601 has been woefully inadequate in caring for people living in poverty and had been open to corruption
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act - What was formed and passed, and how did the new poor law work?
A Royal Commission was formed and the Poor Law Amendment Act passed in 1834 – local taxes were used to pay an overseer to provide for the unemployed by means of workhouses – in these workhouses, conditions were made as poor as possible
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act - What principle did the new poor law introduce?
It introduced a new principle for poor relief, that of ‘less eligibility’ – this meant that those who sought relief from their parish would recieve less than the lowest-paid worker
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act - How was the new poor law applied in the South and the North?
This was applied in the Southern counties, mainly rural in nature, without much problem, but when in 1836 the commission began to work in the North, they faced a lot of opposition
Why did the Chartist movement appear 1938-39 - Impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act - What were industrial conditions like in the North?
In the North, where industrial working conditions were different, the new law was unpopular and seen as taking advantage of the poor for the benefit of the rich which fed into the ongoing discontent
