Chartism Timeline
Year Month Event
1832 June Reform Act
1834 August Poor Law Amendment Act
1835 Septembe Feargus O’Connor founds the Marylebone Radical Association
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1836 June Formation of the London Working Men’s Association
1837 January Lovett and Place draft the Six Points of the People’s Charter
February First public meeting of LWMA in the Strand
May Revival of the Birmingham Political Union
August Viscount Melbourne’s Whig government elected
November Publication of Northern Star in Leeds
1838 April Great Northern Union formed in Leeds
May People’s Charter formally issued
June Formation of O’Connor’s Great Northern Union
Autumn Mass meetings across the country to collect signatures for the National Petition and elect
delegates to the National Convention
Septembe Mass meeting at Kersal Moor
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1839 February Chartist National Convention convened and Lovett elected secretary
June Attwood and Fielden present the Petition to Parliament. It has 1.2m signatures
July William Lovett and John Collins are arrested for seditious libel and later given 1 year sentences
HoC rejects first petition 235-46; Bull Ring Riots in Birmingham
August Sacred Month called off
Septembe Chartist Convention dissolved
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November 4th - Newport Rising
1840 January Newport Rising leaders sentenced to death, although this is later altered to transportation for
life
Attempted uprisings in Sheffield and Bradford
May Feargus O’Connor given 18 month sentence for seditious libel
July National Charter Association founded in Manchester
1841 April National Association founded
July Peel’s Conservative government elected
1842 January Complete Suffrage Union founded in Birmingham by Joseph Sturge
April CSU petition rejected by HoC 226-67
May second Chartist petition with 3.3m signatures rejected 287-49 by HoC
August 1st - Mines Act passed
Plug Plot riots develop into a general strike
20th - Manchester trade societies call for a return to work
1843 March O’Connor tried with 58 others at Lancaster
Septembe O’Connor’s land plan discussed
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1844 Factory Act passed
1845 December O’Connor established the Chartist Land Plan
1846 Estates purchased for Chartist settlement
June Repeal of the Corn Laws leads to a reduction in food prices
1847 January ‘Ten Hour’ Factory Act passed
May O’Connorville, first of Chartist communities, opens near Watford
July O’Connor elected MP for Nottingham
Year Month Event
1832 June Reform Act
1834 August Poor Law Amendment Act
1835 Septembe Feargus O’Connor founds the Marylebone Radical Association
r
1836 June Formation of the London Working Men’s Association
1837 January Lovett and Place draft the Six Points of the People’s Charter
February First public meeting of LWMA in the Strand
May Revival of the Birmingham Political Union
August Viscount Melbourne’s Whig government elected
November Publication of Northern Star in Leeds
1838 April Great Northern Union formed in Leeds
May People’s Charter formally issued
June Formation of O’Connor’s Great Northern Union
Autumn Mass meetings across the country to collect signatures for the National Petition and elect
delegates to the National Convention
Septembe Mass meeting at Kersal Moor
r
1839 February Chartist National Convention convened and Lovett elected secretary
June Attwood and Fielden present the Petition to Parliament. It has 1.2m signatures
July William Lovett and John Collins are arrested for seditious libel and later given 1 year sentences
HoC rejects first petition 235-46; Bull Ring Riots in Birmingham
August Sacred Month called off
Septembe Chartist Convention dissolved
r
November 4th - Newport Rising
1840 January Newport Rising leaders sentenced to death, although this is later altered to transportation for
life
Attempted uprisings in Sheffield and Bradford
May Feargus O’Connor given 18 month sentence for seditious libel
July National Charter Association founded in Manchester
1841 April National Association founded
July Peel’s Conservative government elected
1842 January Complete Suffrage Union founded in Birmingham by Joseph Sturge
April CSU petition rejected by HoC 226-67
May second Chartist petition with 3.3m signatures rejected 287-49 by HoC
August 1st - Mines Act passed
Plug Plot riots develop into a general strike
20th - Manchester trade societies call for a return to work
1843 March O’Connor tried with 58 others at Lancaster
Septembe O’Connor’s land plan discussed
r
1844 Factory Act passed
1845 December O’Connor established the Chartist Land Plan
1846 Estates purchased for Chartist settlement
June Repeal of the Corn Laws leads to a reduction in food prices
1847 January ‘Ten Hour’ Factory Act passed
May O’Connorville, first of Chartist communities, opens near Watford
July O’Connor elected MP for Nottingham
