CHARTISM - why it failed Flashcards
DIVIDED WORKING CLASS
Who did Chartism fail to attract?
It failed to attract the support of the aristocracy of labour… the highly paid, skilled craftsmen.
DIVIDED WORKING CLASS
An example of how there was support in towns but not in any villages
Suffolk -
lots of Chartist activity in Ipswich, which is the large town, but not in any outlying villages.
DIVIDED WORKING CLASS
Why was coordinated action difficult?
Villages were small and isolated from one another.
CHARTISM + TUs
Overall trade union support
They didn’t give widespread and lasting support to Chartism.
Trade union activity was restrained since 1834 when the GNCTU collapsed and the Tolpuddle martyrs were transported.
Common law said that small trade unions who were allowed to exist could be prosecuted for small strike actions.
Initially, Chartism was supported by individual unions who sent reps to its meetings.
CHARTISM + TUs
Why did the 1840s attempt by the NCA to forge links with trade unions ruined?
Unionists were concerned with economic issues, and not chartist political issues.
CHARTISM + TUs
When did trade unionism grow?
Reprisal came in 1845, with the growth of individual trade unions.
This was because of economic activity reviving from 1842.
CHARTISM + TUs
Was O’Connor successful?
No - his attempts were unsuccessful because he had no interest in unions beyond recruiting them for the chartist cause.
CHANGING ECONOMY
Was chartism driven by economic depression or political change?
Historian Halevy
Spikes in Chartist activity has coincided with economic depressions.
Halevy argues that Chartism was the blind revolt of hunger.
It was more than an economically driven frustration.
SUCCESSES OF CHARTISM
What did it do for W.C radicalism?
It breathed new life into W.C radicalism which declined rapidly following Peterloo.
It strengthened the identity of the separate W.C culture under a strong leadership.
Men, women, and children became politically aware through speeches at local gatherings, meetings, and demonstrations.
SUCCESSES OF CHARTISM
What is the significance of the Northern Star?
The Northern Star furthered their political education and made them aware of the dynamic and national importance of the Chartist movement.
