Radical Reformers Flashcards
Spa Fields 1816 - aims and causes
Hunt was asked to present a petition to the Prince Regent, urging him to reform parliament.
Spa Fields 1816 - what happened?
Hunt championed the moral force behind the petition but came close to suggesting the use of physical force if their demands were not met.
Spa Fields 1816 - government involvement
They had informers and spies - Castle, a government informant, had encouraged the riot and duped leaders into taking extreme action.
There were also agent provocateurs.
Spa Fields 1816 - results
Exposed many of the difficulties faced by radical reformers in the post-war years.
The division between those who supported peaceful protest and those who leaned towards violence made unified action impossible.
The Pentridge Rising 1817 - aims and causes
A number of revolutionary activists held a meeting. where they discussed plans for an insurrection.
The Pentridge Rising 1817 - what happened?
A number of revolutionary activists held meetings.
In May, a Londoner, Oliver, persuaded the meeting that radicals in London were preparing an uprising in the capital for 9 June, which would be supported by similar actions throughout the country.
On 9 June their leader, Jeremiah Brandreth, led 300 men towards Nottingham but were intercepted by a regiment of soldiers.
The Pentridge Rising 1817 - government involvement
Oliver, actual name Richards, was in the pay of Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary. He acted as an agent provocateur.
The Pentridge Rising 1817 - results
80 were arrested.
Leeds Mercury exposed Oliver’s role in the rising. The editor blamed the government rather than the activists for the whole affair.
14 men were transported, Brandreth, along with 2 others, were hanged and beheaded in public
The trial of the leaders of the LCS
They were charged with treason.
The government was deeply concerned at the growth of the LCS, convinced they were expanding rapidly.
Pitt believed they posed a threat to the very existence of the state.
However, the government were unable to present a compelling/convincing case to the court e.g. they claimed the LCS was planning assassination of George III with largely flimsy an invented evidence.
Defenders were acquitted.
Suspension of Habeas Corpus 1794
During the same time the LCS was charged with high treason, parliament, prompted by Pitt, suspended habeas corpus.
This allowed the government time to interview the accused and prepare a case against them.
Treason Act 1795
The failure of the 1974 treason trials persuaded ministers to amend the treason law in order to strengthen their powers against radicalism.
The government decided to extend the definition of treason to go beyond simply treasonable actions.
The act made it an offence to kill or even to harm the King. It also stated that any intention ‘to intimidate or overawe either Houses or either House of parliament’ was also treason - this meant that anyone outside parliament who called for parliamentary reform could be charged with treason.
The Seditious Meetings Act
Accompanied the Treason Act.
It restricted the size of public meetings to 50 people, unless approved in advance by the magistrates.
The Gagging Acts 1817
Liverpool’s government faced a number of serious challenged to its authority, as it did little to alleviate distress, clinging to the laissez-faire belief that the economy would revive in time, without government intervention.
Radical activists led ministers to believe in the existence of a broad national revolutionary conspiracy, and the government decided to take action after Spa Fields.
The Treason Act 1795, the suspension of habeas corpus 1794 and the Seditious Meetings Act 1817 were introduced to battle this, being successful in quelling unrest.
The Six Acts 1819
In order to prevent disturbances similar to Peterloo, the Six Acts were passed -
Unlawful Drilling Act - banned unlawful military-style drilling, with the harsh penalty of transportation
Seizure of Arms Act - empowered magistrates to enter any property where they suspected arms were being stored
Misdemeanors Act - reduced the ability of any arrested person from being granted bail
Seditious Meetings Prevention Act - public meetings limited to 50 people and could be conducted at the level of the parish only
Criminal Libel Act - introduced the penalty of transportation for libellous writings
Newspapers and Stamp Duties Act - number of publications that had to pay the stamp duty was extended, and the amount to be paid was increased substantially.
Spies - government tools to suppress radicals
Government used a large network of spies, who infiltrated radical organisations and reported back to the Home Office on their activities.
Their information enabled the government to take pre-emptive action to deal with unrest
Great value - e.g. Oliver in Pentridge Rising
During the Spa Fields meeting, Castle, an agent provocateur, duped the ring leaders to take extreme action
