Popular Radicals

Question 1

Who were the key radical reformers?

Answer 1

William Cobbett
Edmund Burke
Thomas Paine
John Cartwright

Question 2

What did Edmund Burke publish?

Answer 2

‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’

Question 3

How did Edmund Burke’s attitude change following the French Revolution?

Answer 3

Open to Parliamentary reform until the French Revolution.

Question 4

What did Thomas Paine publish?

Answer 4

‘The Rights of Man’
Part 1- February 1791
Part 2- April 1792

Question 5

What was Thomas Paine’s attitude towards the French Revolution?

Answer 5

Supported the French Revolution, he was still pro-reform

Question 6

What was the key difference between Paine and Burke’s beliefs?

Answer 6

Burke celebrated the rule by monarchy and aristocracy.
Paine railed against unearned privilege and inherited wealth.

Question 7

What did John Cartwright set up?

Answer 7

Cartwright set up the Hampden Clubs in 1812.

Question 8

How did Hampden club membership change?

Answer 8

1812- Exclusive affair with a high annual subscription of two guineas (limited membership to middle-class and aristocracy).
1816- Regional Hampden clubs with a membership of one penny weekly.

Question 9

How did the Government respond to the Hampden Clubs in 1817?

Answer 9

Government responded by sending spies to meeting and arresting members e.g. Bamford.

Question 10

When did the Hampden Clubs agree on policy?

Answer 10

In 1817, local delegates were invited to a plenary meeting in London to settle policy matters.
They agreed on universal suffrage and annual parliaments.

Question 11

What did William Cobbett set up?

Answer 11

Cobbett’s Political Register in 1800.

Question 12

What was Cobbett’s Political Register in 1805?

Answer 12

Cobbett’s Political Register was a leading independent source of impartial news and had a circulation of 4,000 in 1805.

Question 13

How did Cobbett decide to reach a wider audience?

Answer 13

Published a single page newspaper for two pence.

Question 14

Was Cobbett’s first single page newspaper a success?

Answer 14

By 1817, the first copy had 200,000 printed and circulated.
First copy: ‘To the Journeymen and Labourers of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland’.

Question 15

Why was Cobbett imprisoned in 1810?

Answer 15

Cobbett denounced cruel punishment of Ely soldiers in his articles in 1809.
He was tried for Seditious writing in 1810 and sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

Question 16

When was ‘The Luddites’ protest?

Answer 16

1812-1815

Question 17

What was the Luddites protest?

Answer 17

New machinery has causes a loss of work for skilled textile workers.
They attacked machinery: burnt mills down, attacked and killed mill owners, and signed letters by Ned Ludd.

Question 18

When was the Spa Fields protest?

Answer 18

2nd December 1816

Question 19

What was the Spa Fields protest?

Answer 19

Group of Spenceans gathered to listen to Henry Hunt.
Hunt was running late and Dr Watson and his son organised a drunken group: raised tricolour, raided a gunsmiths, and marched on the Tower of London.
Hunt arrived and spoke to the remainder of the crowd about lower taxes and parliamentary reform.

Question 20

What was the result of the Spa Fields protest?

Answer 20

Lord Liverpool feared a Revolution (also Prince Regent attacked).
1816 Suspension of Habeas Corpus.
1817 Seditious Meetings Act.

Question 21

When was the Blanketeers protest?

Answer 21

10th March 1817.

Question 22

What was the Blanketeers protest?

Answer 22

Group of 4,000 gathered on St Peter’s Field and arranged a protest March from Manchester to London to present a petition to Prince Regent.
3,000 protesters set off and instilled peaceful conduct.
This alarmed the government which ordered them to disperse after reading the Riot Act, 300 set out but were turned away.
Leading to a scuffle, one man killed and several wounded, and one man making it to London.
Arrests followed e.g. Samuel Bamford.

Question 23

When was the Pentridge Rising protest?

Answer 23

1817

Question 24

What was the Pentridge Rising?

Answer 24

Famous Spy WJ Richards ‘Oliver’ informed workers in Pentridge they were apart of a general uprising.
Jeremiah Brandreth led the group and on June 9th 1817 200 men set out to march to Nottingham armed with weapons.
In Nottingham they were met by troops: 45 men tried for treason, 3 hanged, and 30 men transported.

Question 25

When was the Battle of Peterloo?

Answer 25

1819

Question 26

What were the events of Peterloo?

Answer 26

Around 60,000 people expected to gather at St Peter’s Field to hear Henry Hunt.
11am- William Hulton and magistrates met at Mr Buxton’s house.
12pm- Hulton claimed there were 50,000 gathered at the Field and sent 400 special constables in.
Magistrates decided the town was in danger (following communication with L’Estrange).
Hilton arranged for Deputy Constable to arrest Hunt and others.
Trafford sent in Captain Burley and crowd closed in to prevent arrests.
Yeomanry began to use sabres to break through crowd and Hunt, Knight, Johnson, Moorhouse, Swift, Saxton Tyas and Wild arrested.
Crowd was cleared by 2pm by troops, 11 dead and 400 wounded.

Question 27

What was the result of Peterloo?

Answer 27

Outcry across the country, attacking actions of the government.
Government defended actions by claiming crisis.
December 1819- Six Acts passed.

Question 28

What were the 1819 Six Acts?

Answer 28

The Seizure of Arms Act.
The Misdemeanours Act.
The Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act.
The Training Prevention Act.
The Seditious Meeting Prevention Act.
The Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act.

Question 29

What were the 1817 Gagging Acts?

Answer 29

1817 Treason Act.
1817 Seditious Meetings Act.

Question 30

How did Pitt’s Government respond to radicalists?

Answer 30

1795 Seditious Meetings Act- prohibited meetings of more than 50 people without magistrate approval.
1795 Treasonable Practices Act- made words treasonable.
1794-5 Suspension of Habeas Corpus.

Question 31

What was the 1817 Treason Act?

Answer 31

Made permanent the Treason Act of 1795 and made it treason to assassinate Prince Regent.

Question 32

What was the 1817 Seditious Meetings Act?

Answer 32

Made it illegal to hold a meeting of more than 50 people.

Question 33

What was the 1819 Seizure of Arms Act?

Answer 33

Gave local magistrates power to search private property for weapons.

Question 34

What was the 1819 Misdemeanours Act?

Answer 34

Increase speed of administration of justice by reducing opportunities for bail.

Question 35

What was the 1819 Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act?

Answer 35

Toughened existing laws to provide more punitive sentences for authors (maximum 14 years transportation).

Question 36

What was the 1819 Training Prevention Act?

Answer 36

Any person attending a meeting for training liable for arrest.

Question 37

What was the 1819 Seditious Meeting Prevention Act?

Answer 37

Needed permission of sheriff or magistrate to convene any public meeting of over 50 people- concerned with church or state matters.

Question 38

What was the 1819 Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act?

Answer 38

Extended and increased taxes to cover publications which escaped duty by publishing opinions not news.

Question 39

How did the Government respond to the London Corresponding Society?

Answer 39

Several leaders were arrested and charged with high treason.
All defendants were acquitted, due to insufficient evidence.
Served purpose for the Government still.

Question 40

What was the London Corresponding Society?

Answer 40

Society set up in 1792 by Thomas Hardy with a membership of 5,000.
Corresponded with French Revolution groups.
Printed and disseminated pamphlets.