Reasons for unrest

Question 1

Luddites

Answer 1

Organised bands that were against Machinery.
E.g in Nottingham hand loom weavers opposed power looms.
1811 smashed 1000 machines
Lord Liverpool introduced harsh measures in response- In 1812, machine-breaking became a crime punishable by death.

Question 2

Spa Fields Riots (1816)

Answer 2

Poor quality of life so led to protests (laissez faire)
Henry Hunt gave a speech- meeting of rioters killed 10,000 people.

Question 3

Blanketeers (1917)

Answer 3

5000 unemployed weavers met at St Peter’s field.
carrying petitions for the Prince Regent, demanding relief from unemployment and high food prices. Each marcher carried a blanket as a symbol of their trade.
However, government forces quickly dispersed the protest. Led to the suspension of Habeas Corpus (1817).

Question 4

Pentrich Uprising (1817)

Answer 4

a brief, small-scale armed revolt in Derbyshire, led by Jeremiah Brandreth and fueled by economic hardship and political disenfranchisement in post-Napoleonic Britain. The poorly organised rebellion aimed to force government reform, was quickly suppressed by local authorities, resulting in arrests and severe punishments, and it highlighted the intense social unrest and repressive measures of the era.

Question 5

Peterloo (1918)

Answer 5

The Peterloo Massacre took place on August 16, 1819, when a peaceful protest for parliamentary reform in Manchester turned violent. An estimated 60,000–80,000 people gathered at St Peter’s Field, but the cavalry charged into the crowd, killing at least 18 and injuring hundreds. The government’s brutal response to the unarmed protesters highlighted the growing tension between authorities and reformers, influencing public opinion and sparking demands for political and social change.

Question 6

Cato Street (1820)

Answer 6

23 February 1820
Leader: Arthur Thistlewood
27 conspiratorsAssassinate PM Lord Liverpool and 11 ministers to spark an uprising.
Location: Cato Street, London
Cause: Economic hardship, lack of political reform, Peterloo Massacre (15 dead, 600+ injured), and Six Acts (1819) restricting radicals.
Betrayal: Government spy George Edwards exposed the plot.5 executed (hanged and beheaded, including Thistlewood).
5 transported to Australia.
3 imprisoned