Chartism, c1838-c1850

Who were they?

• London Working Mens Association, William Lovett.
• Peoples Charter,They wanted universal suffrage for all men over 21, secret ballot, abolition of property qualification for MPs, introduction of salaries for them, constituencies of equal size and anual parliaments. These were all recycled ideas and not new.

Why they appeared:

Working class still felt unrepresented after the Great Reform Act of 1832 which merely helped the middle class. Belief that working class could not be trusted to make decision.

In 1833 the Factory act was passed, favouring factory ownersby refusing to include a legal limit of 10 hours to the working day. This meant none regulated working weeks. 

There was alos an economic depression, 1837-42, conditions for labourers were very low.

Actions of Chartists

• The National Convention,1839, was an organised meeting to discuss plans to propose a petition to palriament. Disagreements set in on wether force was neccesary (Northerners said so, yes lads). There was reports of weapons being gathered in Newcastle. The convention later recovered in Birmingham and planned a strike or a "sacred month" and a run of the banks.
• The…