Depth 1: Radical Reformers 1780-1819

Question 1

when was the French revolution?

Answer 1

1789-1815

Question 2

who wrote a book discussing the French revolution?

Answer 2

Edmund burke

Question 3

what was ed burkes book called and what did it say and when was it published?

Answer 3

published November 1790. “reflections on the Revolution in France”
celebrated the monarchy and disapproved of the violence

Question 4

what book did Thomas Paine write?

Answer 4

The Rights of Man. 2 parts published in 1791 and 1792

Question 5

what did the rights of man say and numbers showing its popularity?

Answer 5

it dismissed burke. became a best seller as it was widely available an sold cheaply. 200,000 of part 2 sold in one year.
heard by working men and women who couldn’t read as it was read aloud in public places
basically everyone had one

Question 6

What was the LCS and who set it up and when

Answer 6

London Corresponding Society. formed January 1792 by Thomas Hardy

Question 7

what did the LCS do

Answer 7

called for universal manhood suffrage, secret ballot and MP payment. multiple societies formed and corresponded with each other and france

• made up of skilled working men angry at their exclusion from politics
• held weekly meetings of discussing poverty and WC struggles

Question 8

at its height how many members did the LCS have?

Answer 8

5000

Question 9

When was the LCS disbanded and when was it outlawed?

Answer 9

disbanded 1794, outlawed 1799

Question 10

what was the governments response to Thomas paine?

Answer 10

May and December 1792 proclamations against seditious writings targeting Thomas paine

Question 11

when was habeas corpus first suspended?

Answer 11

may 1794-july 1795

Question 12

what happened when habeas corpus was first suspended?

Answer 12

41 radicals, including Thomas hardy, were arrested and charged with high treason. Hardy was acquitted and the rest of the trials were abandoned and the radicals were released

Question 13

what two acts were passed in 1795?

Answer 13

Treasonable Practices Act and Seditious Meetings Act passed. the first made words, spoken or written, treasonable. the second banned meetings of 50+ people without the approval of a magistrate.

Question 14

why were acts passed in 1795?

Answer 14

radical threat was high as unrest was inflamed by harvest failure, food shortages and high prices. from the war.

Question 15

what anti-radical groups were formed in the 1790s and why?

Answer 15

• people horrified after French overthrew their king and executed him.
• anti-radical propaganda campaign launched exploiting public fear of radical change
• loyalist associations formed with government backing.
• loyalist associations always outnumbered radical ones

Question 16

when was the French king executed?

Answer 16

jan 1793

Question 17

when did the war end?

Answer 17

1815

Question 18

what was the impact of the end of the war?

Answer 18

• unemployment rose as 300,000 men returned from war
• raised in taxes. indirect taxes used (higher food prices e.t.c) which hit the poor hard
• imports of foreign wheat banned (Corn laws)

Question 19

why were the corn laws passed?

Answer 19

because rich landowners claimed that without the ban, cheap foreign wheat imports would flood in and harm british farmers. passed in 1815

Question 20

what did the corn laws do for radicals?

Answer 20

convinced many that politics was the only way to improve their living conditions
accused as "class legislation"

Question 21

when did luddism happen?

Answer 21

1810-1811

Question 22

what was involved in luddism?

Answer 22

“luddites”. men with blackened faces, attacked mills and factories with new machines as they felt such machines threatened their jobs. and they also were against the increased employment of women and children to mind machines.

Question 23

why did luddism peter out?

Answer 23

machine breaking was made a capital offence and several luddites were arrested and executes. this and improved economic conditions caused luddism to stop. however it shocked the authorities.

Question 24

where luddite attacks politically motivated?

Answer 24

no

Question 25

when were the hampden clubs set up and by who?

Answer 25

1812, John Cartwright

Question 26

who were the hampden clubs originally for?

Answer 26

originally for middle class and aristocratic men with a monthly subscription

Question 27

what else did john cartwright do?

Answer 27

known as the “father” of newspaper agitators. travelled through the north, midlands and Scotland to establish links between reformers. following his lil trip he encouraged the set up of regional hampden clubs in 1816

Question 28

what did government suppression of radicals cause?

Answer 28

left british radicalism without national organisation through groups such as the LCS

Question 29

What was a key radical newspaper, who set it up?

Answer 29

William Cobbett set up The Political Register

Question 30

What role did the political register play?

Answer 30

attacked the government, crediting them for working class suffering. following the newspaper tax it was sold as a pamphlet for 2 pennies

Question 31

stuff showing the popularity of the political register?

Answer 31

harsh winter 1816-17 his pamphlet was in every cottage

-circulation of 200,000 in 1817

Question 32

what were the three main meetings?

Answer 32

spa fields, Pentridge and Peterloo

Question 33

when was spa fields and who organised it?

Answer 33

December 1816, followers of Thomas Spence who died in 1814

Question 34

when was William cobbett imprisoned?

Answer 34

1810 he was arrested for seditious libel and imprisoned for 2 years

Question 35

when and why was there a period of less radicalism?

Answer 35

early 1800s due to government actions and national feeling during the Napoleonic war

Question 36

how many meeting made up spa fields and when were they?

Answer 36

2 meetings one in November, the second on the 2nd of december

Question 37

what happened at the first spa fields meeting?

Answer 37

henry hunt addressed a crowd of 10,000. he championed moral force but came v close to advocating physical force

Question 38

what happened at the second spa fields meeting?

Answer 38

spenceans stirred up the crowd causing riotingand a gunsmiths was looted

Question 39

what happened to the ringleaders of spa fields riots?

Answer 39

they were trialed in 1817 but it exposed a network of spies, jury acquitted defendants as it was the spy who mainly stirred up the crowd

Question 40

when was Pentridge?

Answer 40

june 1817

Question 41

what happened at Pentridge?

Answer 41

spy called oliver convinced radicals to march on Nottingham.

Jeremiah Brandeth led group of 300 men, they were intercepted by soldiers, many fled 80 arrested

Question 42

what happened to the ringleaders of Pentridge?

Answer 42

they were executed, some were sent to Australia. revealed further government spy network

Question 43

what other small meeting/march thing happened in 1817

Answer 43

blanketeers march. textile workers. 300 marchers. did not get far before they were arrested by the local yeomanry

Question 44

when was Peterloo?

Answer 44

august 1819

Question 45

what happened at Peterloo?

Answer 45

henry hunt addressed 80,000 in Manchester at St Peters fields.local yeomanry charged. 11 died, 500 + injured

Question 46

what happened after Peterloo?

Answer 46

henry hunt was arrested and imprisoned for 2 years.
national revulsion, outbreaks of sporadic violence
the times turned on the government and publicised it with sympathy for victims.

Question 47

when were the gagging acts and what did it entail?

Answer 47

1817. basically had the seditious meetings and treasonable practices act again from 1795. seditious meeting act added to (banned spenceans by name and banned societies and organisations with secrecy oaths)

Question 48

where the gagging acts successful?

Answer 48

in short term yes, especially in London. took radicals such as Samuel Bamford out of circulation for months before releasing him without charge

Question 49

when were the six acts?

Answer 49

1819

Question 50

what were the six acts?

Answer 50

1-ban military style training 
2-increased magistrate power to search for arms 
3-ban public meetings of 50+
4-further press restrictions
5-sped up trials 
6-increased stamp duty and newspaper tax

Question 51

what did Peterloo cause in terms of government actions?

Answer 51

the six acts