Radical agitation Flashcards
What did the term radical mean in 18th and 19th century Britian?
Any individual or group that wanted to see change or reform in an existing system or institution
What was there a revival of after 1815?
Radical agitation for political reform, which was much more focused and determined than the phase under Pitt
What background would radicals usually come from?
The middle class
How did the radical movement gain traction?
The Hampden Clubs were first formed in 1811 by radical MP Sir Francis Burdett and made popular through the oratory of men like Henry Hunt
Why were the several radical MPs at this time not that effective?
They were independent and pursued their own interests, rather than acting together
What did Wilberforce use his seat to do?
Fight for the abolition of slavery
What was David Ricardo concerned with?
Protecting the economic interests of the industrial classes
Why was the founding of the Manchester Guardian in 1821 significant?
It acted as a mouthpiece for the middle class manufacturors who started for parliamentary representation in the large unrepresented towns of the north
What did Benthamite radicals like James Mill push for?
Extending the franchise
What were the three primary contributors to working class discontent?
Low wages, unemployment and inadequate poor relief
How did the way the working class expressed discontent change at this time
They traditionally rioted, but they became politicised and focused on achieving political influence through the extension of the franchise
Give three examples of the government taking a repressive approach to working class demands for reform
- when protesters at Spa Fields were arrested and dispersed by yeomen
- The march of the blanketeers was dispersed at the outset
- Agent provocateurs flushed out ringleaders at the derbyshire insurrection
Describe the 1819 meeting at at peters field in Manchester
Lancashire weavers were angry their employees wouldn’t agree to a legal minimum wage. Looked to hold a public meeting to press for reform after negotiating failed. Henry hunt spoke to a large crowd in what leaders promised was a peaceful demonstration
What was the reaction to the 1819 meeting in St Peter’s fields from the elites?
The local magistrates were unnevered and dispatched the yeomanry. They gave constables orders to arrest hunt. The yeomanry looked to support and killed 11 people and injured hundreds in the charge through the crowd
What was the response to the actions of the yeomanry at St Peter’s fields?
- the government congratulated the magistrates on their prompt action
- the press took up the story and mockingly called it the Peterloo massacre
Why did the government perhaps make a mistake in how it handled the demonstration at St Peter’s fields?
It was so anxious to keep the local magistracy onside that it failed to get to the root of the problem. Even middle class opinion was shocked by the unnecessary carnage
How did the government respond in the aftermath of the peterloo massacre?
Keen to show their zero tolerance of public disorder, they tightened up existing legislation to increase magistrates powers and to deter public gathering through the six acts, which were seen as a direct attack on radicalism
Who was Henry hunt?
A radical agitator who pushed for political representation for the working classes, firmly rejecting violence. He was imprisoned for his role in peterloo but became a radical mp in 1830
Why did working class agitation start to subside in the 1820s?
Because the economy started to bounce back
What three things caused radical outbreaks of violence to begin again in the late 1820s?
- a sudden economic slump
- the introduction of threshing machines onto farms, as this threatened employment
- the continuation of the tithe to the parish slaves
Describe the Luddism of the late 1820s
Farm machinery was smashed and hay bricks were set ablaze. A series of letters then emerged threatening local landowner and farmers
Why did the Luddism of the late 1820s become known as the swing riots?
Because the threatening letters to farmers and landowners were signed captain swing, a reference to the flailing stick used in hand threshing
How did the government respond to the swing riots?
They quickly hung troublemakers and jailed or transported hundreds more
What common goal did middle class and working class agitators share?
Ending aristocratic dominance of the political system
