Chartism Flashcards

Question

what key organisations and activities contributed to the growth of the chartist movement

Answer 1

-glasgow weavers strike 1837 -anti corn law league 1830s -Great Northern Union 1837 -Birmingham Political Union 1837 -London Working Men's Association 1836

Answer 2

* 1837 - protesting + demonstrating due to wage cuts of 25% caused by falling taxes of textiles Was violently suppressed by militia

Answer 3

* Corn laws set up in 1815 * Anti corn law league set up in Manchester led by Cobden and Bright - advocated free trade * Happened in Manchester specifically because * Throughout 1842 evolved into a general strike, began to distance from the chartist movement in 1840s * Wanted to try to remain respectability Eventually was given in 1846 - was successful

Answer 4

-never intended to be a mass organisation and only had small support from artisans -charged a fairly high membership fee of one shilling -promoted political and social rights and the development of educational opportunities for all -aimed to achieve them through peaceful/moral force, hoped that this would make parliament embrace social and political change -May 1837 Lovett and colleagues drafted the six points in the People's Charter of 1838

Answer 5

* Thomas Attwood's Birmingham Political Union (BPU): -had strong support of middle/working class people, had campaigned in support of the reform bill in 1831-32, but then declined in importance after reform bill was passed -Attwood reorganised the BPU in 1837 after depression in midland towns -initially failed to secure widespread support due to modest demands focused on household over universal suffrage -after launching a more radical programme in November 1837 which included universal suffrage being presented as a national petition to parliament, gathered widespread support

Answer 6

* Feargus O'Connor, who was elected for county Cork in 1832, created the Great Northern Union (GNU) in 1837: -O'connor was disqualified as MP in 1835 as he didn’t possess the required property qualifications, then turned to radical english politics Late 1935 he toured northern england and created radical associations wanting reform, gathered support through his persuasive orating -got support particularly from unskilled english workers and irish immigrants that moved to work in the industrial north -1837 O'Connor combined all the associations into the GNU and founded the newspaper Northern Star (had an initial circulation of 10,000 which rose to over 50,000 in 1839 once it gave full support for chartism

Answer 7

* Appeared threatening as could bring huge crowds of people, brought memories back of the French Revolution and the Peterloo Massacre * Brought unity of working class * However preferred moral force so wasn’t a true threat as couldn’t overthrow the government Was only a percieved threat while in actuality it only put pressure on the government to conform to what the working class wanted

Answer 8

* LWMA: -prioritising moral force is less likely to get a reaction by parliament -the success of the People's Charter depended on the widespread support of LWMA * Hard for all the organisations to agree and cooperate with each other due to personal disagreements: -1838 all the organisations united in the common cause of political reform -may 1938 LWMA and BPU attended a mass meetings in Glasgow of 200,000 people where they agreed to join forces and adopt a common programme -however O'Connor didn’t go as he didn’t want to lose control of the GNU but also because of personal disagreements with Lovett -Lovett disapproved of O'Connor's courting of unskilled workers and his violent language used in his speeches -O'Connor realised Chartism was getting well known and didn’t want this to diminish the GNU so decided to swing the GNU behind the other organisations and attended a meeting in Birmingham in August 1838 where the Peoples Charter and national petition was adopted - 50,000 people attended including men women and children

Answer 9

* After the People's charter was decided in august 1938, began to organise meetings to elect delegates to the chartist convention which would meet in london february 1939 * Meetings were attended by women, men, and children so had widespread support and good organisation - the largest meeting was at kersal Moor outside Manchester in september 1838, O'Connor said the crowds were up to one million while others say it was only 50,000 Delegates (there to represent and convey the interests of chartists) all originally from middle class - chartist supporters would vote for who they prefer

Answer 10

* Chartism still had lots of internal divisions, some believed more in economic change rather than political change * Divisions were clear when those who attended the national chartist convention in february 1839 were most of the delegates were shopkeepers or tradesmen rather than working class Were also divisions on how to act if the national petition was rejected - some wanted to continue peaceful protest e.g. exclusive dealing (the boycotting of shops and trades whose owners opposed chartism), while others supported a sacred month (general strike, which could lead to violence)

Answer 11

* Divisions between personal need and what actions to take between moral or physical force meant no strategic agreement could be made * Seemed threatening as it showed chartists had a sense of unity across the country, was seen as an alternative to parliament, spoke about real problems * Threat limited due to divisions, idea of a sacred month collapsed * Using moral force through petition is unlikely to create change * "peace if we may, forcibly if we must" - O'Connor * Henry Hetherington disagreed with violence as afraid of it backfiring "should there be petitions unless signed with steel pens" - physical force chartists

Answer 12

* June 1939 a massive national petition was prepared and would be presented to parliament by MP Thomas Attwood * It was 3 miles long and had 1,283,000 signatures 25% of which from women as they recognised importance of their men getting the vote to alleviate their bad economic conditions, 1/4 of which were women The home office were prepared for public demonstrations and riots so put large numbers of special armed constables to prevent violence

Answer 13

* On 14th July house of commons voted: fewer than half of all MPs turned up to vote, and the petition was rejected by 235 votes to 46 ---- was a vote only for whether the petition should be heard, gave them no voice, caused a crisis in the chartist movement as it meant moral force does not work * By august 1839 the national convention was on the brink of dissolution, the BPU withdrew support after the violence at the Bull Ring, a sacred month was considered but trade unions opposed this so was rejected, chartist leaders were arrested Chartism was in threat of disintegration as the government was acting decisively against it

Answer 14

* Had mass support so showed widespread discontent with the status quo * Was very organised * Had potential to escalate to general national strike/ a sacred month which showed an increased reliance on physical force, but this was rejected by trade unions * OVERALL wasn’t a huge threat as it was easy for government to reject and forget, there was a clear rejection through the votes in parliament Chartists were still divided

Answer 15

* In july 1839 chartists held a meeting in Birmingham's Bull Ring that challenged a ban on such meetings imposed by local magistrates + the rejection of the national petition * The government were too afraid of bringing in troops as defence in case another peterloo massacre would occur which would only bring more uproar, so instead brought a police force from London through the new London to Birmingham railway * The police were successful in dispersal but only after some fighting * At Lovett's prompting the convention denounced police action which led to his arrest and imprisonment Lovett goes back to the convention and supports the protesters despite favour of moral force - was then arrested

Answer 16

* Was unorganised and spontaneous, the government could then easily dismiss it * Led to arrest of Lovett - when he comes out he focuses on education/knowledge chartism, no longer engages in chartism as a whole or with O'Connor Middle class reformers then distanced support due to violent tactics

Answer 17

* Had large crowds and led to clash between radicals and police, were able to openly challenge the government * Overall threat was limited as it was only concentrated in birmingham, was quickly dispersed by police, and weakened leadership of the chartists Also exposed the divisions within the chartist movement

Answer 18

* Chartism grew in south Wales (a key industrial centre) and in august 1839 Henry Vincent (a prominent Welsh chartist) was sentenced to 12 month in Monmouth jail for unlawful assembly in 1839 * As a result locals wanted to use physical force in Newport to persuade authorities to release Vincent and other chartist leaders * John Frost led one of three separate marches that totalled over 10,000, they met at Newport on the 3rd of November and surrounded Westgate Hotel * Chartists held handmade weapons e.g. rifles, pikes, agricultural weapons --- was truly violent and aimed to be, had their own weapons at home and intended to use them * Had weapons stockpiled over summer 1839 in caves around south Wales * Troops responded immediately and fired into the crowd to disperse them - only 60 soldiers stationed there however more was on their way, but this would take too long and only got there 6 days after the rising happened 22 men were dead and over 50 injured, Frost and two other associates were found guilty of high treason and were originally sentenced to death through hung drawn and quartered, but the government changed this to transportation as they feared execution would only bring more uproar--- government wanted to deter further violence, were fearful of another happening

Answer 19

* Only reinforced the government's view that Chartism was fuelled by violence * Government troops were too strong, easily suppressed the rising * Had no coherent strategy or plan * Failed as soldiers were more well prepared and trained, even thought there's less of them they could take on untrained and unorganised crowd * Was the largest loss of life in peace time in England during the 19th century O'Connor arrested after the Newport rising in 1840, released august 1841 - arrested for stirring up the Newport rising through his threats of violence in his speeches even though he condemned it

Answer 20

* Wasn’t a huge threat as it was concentrated only in Wales, was disorganised, the government response was prepared * Only weakened Chartism as justified idea that it was violent People involved were all united in a common goal, government has to be careful with how to handle them

Answer 21

initially 10,000, rose to 50,000 once it gave full support for chartism

Answer 22

august 1838

Answer 23

february 1839 in london

Answer 24

on 14th july - fewer than half MPs turned up to vote, petition was rejected a hearing by 235 votes to 46

Answer 25

was 3 miles long, 1,283,000 signatures, 25% of which was women

Chartism Flashcards

(50 cards)