CHARTISM c1790-1819 DEPTH 2
How far had the Chartists achieved their aims by 1850?
What factors led to the emergence of the Chartist movement in the 1830s?
➡ August 1838: Six Points of the People’s Charter were approved at a meeting of leading
radicals
★ universal male su rage
★ the secret ballot
★ constituencies of equal size
★ abolition of property quali cations
★ payment of MPs
★ annual parliaments
✴ French Revolution and post war distress revived interest in reform — but this had been
silenced the events of Peterloo, the Six Acts, and the economic revival of the 1820s
✴ Working class interest in reform was revived in the late 1820s as well as disillusion with the
1832 Reform Act which pushed woking people towards radical ideas
✴ Cyclic trade depressions in the years 1838-50 underpinned the agitation for the People’s
Charter in 1839, 1842 and 1848
✴ Chartists were also opposed to many policies carried out by the Whigs, including issues such
as trade union rights and failing to reform factory working conditions
Irish Coercion Act 1833
Severity of the Act shocked radicals throughout Britain, and there were fears that Whigs would
apply similar repressive measures on British radicalism
Demonstrations against the Act marked the rst stage of revival of radical political activity and
the emergence of Chartism
Whigs and the trade unions
Repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824 led to the re-establishment of many trade unions
1834 GNTU was established, and within 6 months the Whigs had destroyed it
There was national outcry after 6 farm labourers were convicted for forming a trade union and
swearing an oath
These attacks on trade unions intensi ed hatred felt by working people towards the Whigs
and were a signi cant factor in the growth of Chartism
War of the unstamped 1831-36
Newspapers had been taxed since 1712 to restrict circulation and to keep them out of the
hands of working people
1831 Poor Man’s Guardian was founded and sold for 1p and within 2 years it had a circulation
of 220,000 copies — the government tried to stop the publication but the founder
Hetherington was not deterred
In 1836 after pressure on gov, tax on newspapers was reduced to 1p and tax on pamphlets
was abolished
The success of this movement revealed a coordinated campaign of extra-parliamentary
pressure could force a change in government policies
fiff fi fi fi
How far had the Chartists achieved their aims by 1850?
What factors led to the emergence of the Chartist movement in the 1830s?
➡ August 1838: Six Points of the People’s Charter were approved at a meeting of leading
radicals
★ universal male su rage
★ the secret ballot
★ constituencies of equal size
★ abolition of property quali cations
★ payment of MPs
★ annual parliaments
✴ French Revolution and post war distress revived interest in reform — but this had been
silenced the events of Peterloo, the Six Acts, and the economic revival of the 1820s
✴ Working class interest in reform was revived in the late 1820s as well as disillusion with the
1832 Reform Act which pushed woking people towards radical ideas
✴ Cyclic trade depressions in the years 1838-50 underpinned the agitation for the People’s
Charter in 1839, 1842 and 1848
✴ Chartists were also opposed to many policies carried out by the Whigs, including issues such
as trade union rights and failing to reform factory working conditions
Irish Coercion Act 1833
Severity of the Act shocked radicals throughout Britain, and there were fears that Whigs would
apply similar repressive measures on British radicalism
Demonstrations against the Act marked the rst stage of revival of radical political activity and
the emergence of Chartism
Whigs and the trade unions
Repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824 led to the re-establishment of many trade unions
1834 GNTU was established, and within 6 months the Whigs had destroyed it
There was national outcry after 6 farm labourers were convicted for forming a trade union and
swearing an oath
These attacks on trade unions intensi ed hatred felt by working people towards the Whigs
and were a signi cant factor in the growth of Chartism
War of the unstamped 1831-36
Newspapers had been taxed since 1712 to restrict circulation and to keep them out of the
hands of working people
1831 Poor Man’s Guardian was founded and sold for 1p and within 2 years it had a circulation
of 220,000 copies — the government tried to stop the publication but the founder
Hetherington was not deterred
In 1836 after pressure on gov, tax on newspapers was reduced to 1p and tax on pamphlets
was abolished
The success of this movement revealed a coordinated campaign of extra-parliamentary
pressure could force a change in government policies
fiff fi fi fi
