Chartism 1838-1848
- Created by: georgiaj96
- Created on: 17-05-14 10:44
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- Chartism 1838-1848
- Points of the Charter
- Votes for all males under 21 (universal male suffrage)
- Payment for MPs
- Each constituency same size (representation)
- Secret ballot to stop corruption
- No property qualifications
- General Elections once a year
- Same aims as radicalism
- Idea of Chartism
- 1815-20 set foundation
- Response to the Poor Law Act 1834
- Emerged properly in 1838
- Stronger in some areas than others- eg Birmingham, Merthyr and London
- Alarmed authorities-they didn't want Martyrs to be made
- Group of Chartists discuss general uprising
- Unites large group of working class to support democracy
- Origins of Chartism
- Poor Law Amendment Act seen as an attack on the poor
- 1835-Municipial Corporations Act
- 1836- Newspaper Act passed, cheaper
- 1836- formation of London Working Men's Association (LWMA)
- Formed by Lovett
- Moral Force
- Peaceful methods such as petitions, mass meetings, lobbying MPs and letters
- Led by Lovett
- New threat from the North- Feargus O'Connor
- Lovett wanted education reform
- Physical Force
- Led by Feargus O'Connor- editor of the Northern Star
- From the North eg Leeds
- Chartism wouldn't have been so popular if it wasn't for O'Connor
- He led housing schemes and town planning- O'Connorvilles/ Land Plan
- Violence if necessary- Moral force was too slow
- Need to be more dynamic
- Popular with Scotch Cattle
- Long Term Causes
- Radical traditions and ideas
- Henry Hunt and the radicals
- Changing nature of British society-franchise out of date
- Industrial Revolution created bad living and working conditions
- Short Term Causes
- Betrayal of Great Reform Act 1832
- War of the unstamped- Whigs placed a gagging tax on stamp duty to limit radical press
- Factory Reform to right working conditions. 10 Hour Movement popular in the North
- Poor Law 1934
- Trade Union activity
- Newport Rising and 1st Petition 1839
- 3rd-4th November
- National Convention- O'Connor called for a Sacred Month to take action against the rejected petition
- Welsh language aided Chartism to flourish as it promoted secrecy
- John Frost led- Mayor in 1836, set up the Working Men's Association in 1837
- A country wide rising planned by Frost, Jones (Pontypool) and Williams (Blaina)
- Hoped for 10,000 marchers, got 6,000
- 500 officers hiding in the Westgate Hotel
- Battle lasted 25 mins
- 22 Chartists killed, 2 soldiers killed, 50 wounded
- 60 Chartists on trial in Monmouth
- Authorities convinced it was a genuine attempt at revolution
- Plug Plot Riots and 2nd Petition 1842
- Plugs were removed from steam engines, stopping the factories from working
- Failure of 1839 led to 500 chartists reappraising the strategy, known as the New Move
- Growing support for the temperance movement
- Christian Chartism developed, popular in Wales
- New Move met with opposition from O'Connor who felt it distracted from the 6 points
- 3.5 million signatures, but House rejected the petition again (287 over 49)
- Kennington Common and 3rd Petition 1848
- O'Connor now an MP
- Physical Force Chartists wanted to storm the Parliament if the 6 points were rejected
- 150,000 special constables called and the Queen was moved to the Isle of Wight
- Chartist numbers were disappointing-no revolution
- The petition had 6 million signatures, but was rejected again
- On examination, the petition only had 2 million signatures
- By 1850 Chartism was dead as trade recovered
- Successes
- 5 out of 6 points were adopted by 1920
- Paved way for future protests and reforms
- Impact and influence on social reforms- Land Plan, Education, Working conditions etc
- Failures
- None of the 6 points were achieved during the Chartist period
- Many leaders transported or imprisoned
- Only popular in economic slump
- Divide owing to Moral v Physical methods
- Points of the Charter
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