Patterns of Chartist Support

Question 1

Support in Liverpool

Answer 1

the Chartist committee dominated by skilled workers. Support relatively lower than other cities. Due to large proportion of unskilled workers in 1841 and the harsh poor laws being in place since 1821, meant poor laws had less of an impact in later 1830s. 20% of workers were Irish born Catholics contributed to less harmony among working class.

Question 2

Support in Scotland

Answer 2

More moderate chartist leaders than physical force English leaders. Centred upon Glasgow, city not experienced full severity of economic depression and there was no poor law amendment act in place– workhouses and shipbuilding and other industries began to grow bringing prosperity to industrial parts of the country.

Question 3

Support in London 1830s

Answer 3

Not major until 1848- lacking the community of industrial towns. London radicals were divided among themselves.
15,000 attended first Chartist meeting in 1938 in comparison to 300,000 in Manchester– London workers had higher wages than the rest of the country and protected from unemployment rises in 1830s.

Question 4

London 1840s

Answer 4

• Chartism took root in early 1840s coinciding with economic depression in London in 1841-2. Though support declined after 1842 as economy revived, although city remained an important centre.
• 1843-4 it was HQ for the Northern Star, in 1848 it arguably became most significant.
• Real motivation of Chartism was economic depression and it proved difficult to overcome the sectionalism of the different trades–there were no dominant industries allowing a more common approach from workers.

Question 5

Support in North

Answer 5

Movement was at its most militant in the expanding textile towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Stringer in these places than in the great industrial centres of Leeds and Sheffield where too many trades were affected by change and depression in different way.

Question 6

Support in North East

Answer 6

Increasingly the mining communities in this part of the country turned to trade unions after 1839.

Question 7

Support in Wales

Answer 7

Miners in South Wales turned away from Chartism following Newport Uprising of 1839

Question 8

Support in Midlands

Answer 8

Movement was at its most militant in the single industry outworking villages and small towns.

Question 9

Support in South West

Answer 9

The Wesleyan Methodist Network kept Chartist missionaries and lecturers away from Cornish tin miners.

Question 10

Who were less likely to be Chartists

Answer 10

tended not to be strong amongst unskilled workers in towns and cities, and rural labourers.

Question 11

Who was most likely to be Chartist

Answer 11

• Outworkers faced problems that made demand for Chartism attractive. Handloom weavers, overtaken by technological innovations, trying to survive in dying trade. Factor workers were also active- skilled male cotton spinners felt threatened by new machinery which could be managed by women and children.
• Craft workers (artisans) were well represented in the movement– shoemakers, tailors, building workers. These trades were being transformed by employers seeking to increase production by ending apprenticeships and moving workers to supervised workshops. craft skills devalued in mass production.
• though not just workers threatened– mechanics, engineers and millwrights increased support for movement in 1842. The Charter seemed to promise protection to all those whose earnings, status or employment seemed insecure.