Cobbet and Hunt Flashcards
Who is Cobbett?
Highly influential radical who later became an MP, strong critic of the govt
What was Cobbett’s newspaper/pamphlet called?
Weekly Political Register
When was the Weekly political register established?
1802
How much did the WPR sell for?
2d
How did Cobbett attack the government through his language?
Labels like ‘Parasites’, ‘Taxeaters’ also used ‘unproductive’ and ‘idle’ to describe the upper class
Why did Cobbett’s influence grow in the winter of 1816-17?
Poor harvests mean that prices rose, Cobbett became appealing to the working class
What was Cobbett’s quote?
“I defy you to agitate any fellow with a full stomach”
Why did Cobbett publish in pamphlet form?
To override the stamp duty which put the newspaper out of the hands of working class
What were Cobbett’s main complaints?
- Reform in govt
- People in govt abused their power
- Inequality of British public
- w/c were being exploited
Who founded the Hampden Clubs?
Cartwright in 1812
What were the Hampden Clubs?
radicals club were people gathered to read articles and pamphlets
What were the membership of the Hampden clubs like?
- Anyone could join for 1d a week
- limited due to the fear of authorities
- m/c feared revolution so scared to join
- popular in Lancashire and Midlands
What were the aims of the Hampden Club?
- To win over respectable support for reform
- Achieve manhood suffrage
- Annual parliaments
- Secret Ballot
- Abolition of Corn Laws
How did the Hampden club use the subscription money?
To finance the production of pamphlets
Where was some of the strongest support?
In Lancashire, where thousands of weavers were threatened with job loss.
How many Hampden clubs were their by March 1817?
40
Why were Hampden club meetings public?
to not fall foul of anti-sedition legislation
How were the Hampden clubs still challenged by the government?
- Infiltration of spies
- Targeting of leaders by local constables
How was the movement disrupted in 1817?
several leading figures were arrested and sent to London in chains, imprisoned for several months before being released without charge
Why were the Hampden clubs important?
- vanguard for radical organisation
- Some aims achieved (corn laws 1946, suffrage 1918, secret ballot 1872)
- their development was a sign of increased scope and strength of radicalism
How did Cobbett and the political register contribute to radicalism?
- Radical press had large reach, circulations boosted by being read out loud in pubs, chapels
- promoted simple ideas and solutions that resonated with lots of people, in a memorable style
- as newspaper had the ability to react quickly to events (eco hardships)
Name other political press
- The medusa
- The cap of liberty
- The republican
Who was Henry Hunt?
skilled orator
Why did Hunt have no intention of wining over ‘gentlemen reformers’
He believed that being well organised, orderly and peaceful the masses could demonstrate their newfound power and discipline
What was Hunt’s method called?
mass platform
Where were some of the largest meetings held?
Birmingham, Manchester, London
Why did Hunt oppose the 1832 reform act?
did not give vote to working men
Why might Hunt and Cobbett seem as surprising leaders for a reform movement?
- They are rich and originally from upper class background
- They were educated
