Cobbet and Hunt

Question 1

Who is Cobbett?

Answer 1

Highly influential radical who later became an MP, strong critic of the govt

Question 2

What was Cobbett’s newspaper/pamphlet called?

Answer 2

Weekly Political Register

Question 3

When was the Weekly political register established?

Answer 3

1802

Question 4

How much did the WPR sell for?

Answer 4

2d

Question 5

How did Cobbett attack the government through his language?

Answer 5

Labels like ‘Parasites’, ‘Taxeaters’ also used ‘unproductive’ and ‘idle’ to describe the upper class

Question 6

Why did Cobbett’s influence grow in the winter of 1816-17?

Answer 6

Poor harvests mean that prices rose, Cobbett became appealing to the working class

Question 7

What was Cobbett’s quote?

Answer 7

“I defy you to agitate any fellow with a full stomach”

Question 8

Why did Cobbett publish in pamphlet form?

Answer 8

To override the stamp duty which put the newspaper out of the hands of working class

Question 9

What were Cobbett’s main complaints?

Answer 9

• Reform in govt
• People in govt abused their power
• Inequality of British public
• w/c were being exploited

Question 10

Who founded the Hampden Clubs?

Answer 10

Cartwright in 1812

Question 11

What were the Hampden Clubs?

Answer 11

radicals club were people gathered to read articles and pamphlets

Question 12

What were the membership of the Hampden clubs like?

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

What were the aims of the Hampden Club?

Answer 13

• To win over respectable support for reform
• Achieve manhood suffrage
• Annual parliaments
• Secret Ballot
• Abolition of Corn Laws

Question 14

How did the Hampden club use the subscription money?

Answer 14

To finance the production of pamphlets

Question 15

Where was some of the strongest support?

Answer 15

In Lancashire, where thousands of weavers were threatened with job loss.

Question 16

How many Hampden clubs were their by March 1817?

Answer 16

40

Question 17

Why were Hampden club meetings public?

Answer 17

to not fall foul of anti-sedition legislation

Question 18

How were the Hampden clubs still challenged by the government?

Answer 18

• Infiltration of spies
• Targeting of leaders by local constables

Question 19

How was the movement disrupted in 1817?

Answer 19

several leading figures were arrested and sent to London in chains, imprisoned for several months before being released without charge

Question 20

Why were the Hampden clubs important?

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

How did Cobbett and the political register contribute to radicalism?

Answer 21

• 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)

Question 22

Name other political press

Answer 22

• The medusa
• The cap of liberty
• The republican

Question 23

Who was Henry Hunt?

Answer 23

skilled orator

Question 24

Why did he have no intention of wining over ‘gentlemen reformers’

Answer 24

He believed that being well organised, orderly and peaceful the masses could demonstrate their newfound power and discipline

Question 25

What was Hunt’s method called?

Answer 25

mass platform

Question 26

Where were some of the largest meetings held?

Answer 26

Birmingham, Manchester, London

Question 27

Why did Hunt oppose the 1832 reform act?

Answer 27

did not give vote to working men