History Flashcards
The Six Acts of 1819
In Britain, following the Peterloo Massacre of August 16, 1819, the British government acted to prevent any future disturbances by the introduction of new legislation, the so-called Six Acts which labelled any meeting for radical reform as “an overt act of treasonable conspiracy”. The Parliament of the United Kingdom had reconvened on 23 November and the new acts were introduced by the Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth. By 30 December the legislation was passed, despite the opposition of the Whigs. The acts were aimed at gagging radical newspapers, preventing large meetings, and reducing what the government saw as the possibility of armed insurrection. The acts were introduced by prime minister Lord Liverpool as part of his repressive approach on Britain, thus to prevent a revolution.
