Social class and women in regards to the
franchise
The Chartists:
● An early example of a pressure group for major political reform
● They wanted to have Britain transformed into a full democracy and they wanted help for the poor by
having a voice
● While the Parliament did not want to give them the votes due to fear
● Demanded the adoption by parliament of the six points of the People's Charter
● They had a six-point charter list of reforms they wanted
1. All men to have the vote irrespective of wealth or property ownership
2. Voting should take place by secret ballot
3. Payment for MPs
4. Equal constituencies
5. Get rid of property qualifications
6. Parliamentary elections every year, not once every 7 years (the law was changed in 1911 to
reduce the maximum length of a parliament should be abolished
● Key Leaders were:
○ William Lovett
○ Francis Place
○ Feargus O'Connor
○ Susanna Inge
○ Anne Walker
● They were not short-term successful however in regard to long-term achievement all their ideas were
successful or achieved
● The main tactic was the compilation and submission to parliament of three monster petitions in 1839,
1942 and 1848 that contained up to 6 million signatures, though some were of dubious authenticity
● The movement collapsed soon after the failure of the 1848 petition
● The legacy of the Chartists was significant and influenced the creation of other political movements
such as the Reform League which helped pressure the government to pass the Second Reform Act of
1867
● The chartists were concerned with ending the aristocratic domination of politics by a small wealthy elite
that the wealthy ruled in their own selfish interests.
Why were the wealthy elite alarmed at the prospect of giving the vote to the
working class?
● Believed the working-class men were too poorly educated to use their vote wisely and understand
political issues
● They feared some might use their power and seize the wealth of the rich and privileged, inspired by the
revolutionary spirit of the French Revolution in the previous century
● They also feared that radical change might threaten Britain’s global wealth and expanding trading
empire
● They were frightened of losing their own grip on power
franchise
The Chartists:
● An early example of a pressure group for major political reform
● They wanted to have Britain transformed into a full democracy and they wanted help for the poor by
having a voice
● While the Parliament did not want to give them the votes due to fear
● Demanded the adoption by parliament of the six points of the People's Charter
● They had a six-point charter list of reforms they wanted
1. All men to have the vote irrespective of wealth or property ownership
2. Voting should take place by secret ballot
3. Payment for MPs
4. Equal constituencies
5. Get rid of property qualifications
6. Parliamentary elections every year, not once every 7 years (the law was changed in 1911 to
reduce the maximum length of a parliament should be abolished
● Key Leaders were:
○ William Lovett
○ Francis Place
○ Feargus O'Connor
○ Susanna Inge
○ Anne Walker
● They were not short-term successful however in regard to long-term achievement all their ideas were
successful or achieved
● The main tactic was the compilation and submission to parliament of three monster petitions in 1839,
1942 and 1848 that contained up to 6 million signatures, though some were of dubious authenticity
● The movement collapsed soon after the failure of the 1848 petition
● The legacy of the Chartists was significant and influenced the creation of other political movements
such as the Reform League which helped pressure the government to pass the Second Reform Act of
1867
● The chartists were concerned with ending the aristocratic domination of politics by a small wealthy elite
that the wealthy ruled in their own selfish interests.
Why were the wealthy elite alarmed at the prospect of giving the vote to the
working class?
● Believed the working-class men were too poorly educated to use their vote wisely and understand
political issues
● They feared some might use their power and seize the wealth of the rich and privileged, inspired by the
revolutionary spirit of the French Revolution in the previous century
● They also feared that radical change might threaten Britain’s global wealth and expanding trading
empire
● They were frightened of losing their own grip on power
