1
Q
what were the origins of chartism?
A
- Disillusionment after 1832
- William Lovett, LWMA and Thomas Atwood assume key roles
- put together six points of the charter, and begin the petitions
2
Q
How did chartism initially pick up pace?
A
- Joined by activists such as Feargus O’Connor (who had been resisting the poor law in the north)
- Municipal Corporations Act suggested laws pass to benefit those enfranchised in 1832
3
Q
How did the first petition come about?
A
- Signatures collected at mass meetings
- Delegates appointed to national convention
- over 200,000 attended each of these meetings
- such events advertised in Northern Star (sold 50,000 copies per week)
4
Q
Describe the nature of the first petition
A
- National Convention met in Feb 1839 claiming to represent all people
- collected 1.25 million signatures
- unprecedented size of petition and national coordination
5
Q
How did the government react to the first petition?
A
July 1839
rejected by 235 votes to 46
less than half of MPs bothered to attend
6
Q
What was the significance of the Northern Star?
A
- chartism emerged and sustained itself as a national movement
- O’Connor used profits to finance movement and build up defense funds for trials
- often read aloud to groups who shared the subscription cost
7
Q
How did the National Convention evolve?
A
- became a discussion forum for strategy and how to react to rejection
- revealed disagreement and divisions (m/c vs w/c, moral vs physical force)
8
Q
What was the sacred month?
A
- After the first petition was rejected, the NC hastily formed the idea of a general strike
- No local plans were made, and the idea lacked general support
- Authorities were careful nit to provide justification for a violent reaction
9
Q
What was the Newport rising (1839)?
A
- 10,000 marched from south wales to Newport, mostly miners and iron workers
- armed and marching in military formation
- shots were exchanged with a small group of troops, 20 protesters killed
10
Q
How did the government react to the Newport rising (1839)?
A
- local leaders including John Frost were convicted of treason and sentenced to death (changed to transportation to avoid martyrs)
- Lovett arrested after Birmingham riots
- O’Connor and other prominent chartists imprisoned
11
Q
How did the chartists react to the Newport rising (1839)?
A
- learnt dangers of violence
- destroyed myths soldiers would not fire on them
- working class agitation directed down a constitutional path
12
Q
What was the National Charter Association (NCA)?
A
- O’Connor helped form it in July 1840
- provided central organisation that chartism lacked
- first wc political party
- created sense of unity
13
Q
how successful was the National Charter Association (NCA)?
A
- 1d weekly subscription, wide membership
- by 1842 : 400 affiliated branches, 50,000 members
14
Q
What new directions did chartism assume in its second stage (1840-42)?
A
- In some areas ‘chartist culture’ emerged e.g. Nottingham
- Henry Vincent (welsh chartist leader) turned to teetotalism
- Move to christian chartism in Birmingham
- Lovett advocated knowledge chartism, which O’Connor denounced in the northern star
15
Q
What was the complete suffrage movement?
A
- Attempt to unite the mc radical reformers with the chartists
- leaders such as Joseph Sturge were willing to work with Lovett but wary of O’Connor
- disagreed over tactics and failed
16
Q
How did the Second Petition work out?
A
- 3 million signatures
- rejected by 287 votes to 49
- NC had no agreed alternative strategy
- ineffectiveness of peaceful petitioning shown
17
Q
What problems did Britain face in 1842?
A
- economic depression
- unemployment and wage cuts
- mainstream wc activism drifted out of chartist control
- strikes in 23 counties
- plug riots forced factories to close down
18
Q
how did the NCA react to the plug riots (1842)?
A
- faced with a strike they had not planned
- O’Connor was suspicious of the ACLL
- Leaders arrested for a strike they had not begun
19
Q
How did the government react to the plug riots (1842)?
A
- stationed 6000 of General Napier’s troops around the country using newly built railways
- Mass arrests used by conservative gov elected in 1841
- by end of 1842, 1500 had been put on trial
20
Q
Why did the economic depression (1842) end?
A
-Harvest of 1842-43 was good
21
Q
describe the economic recovery and loss of mass support in 1843
A
- boom in railway building
- arrest of many leaders
- well known divisions in chartism
- wc men turn to trade unions
- conservatives passed reforms responding to distress in industrial areas
22
Q
When were the corn laws repealed?
A
1846 (by conservative government who also reduced import duties on some foods
23
Q
What was the land plan?
A
- O’connors scheme to set up rural chartist communities. -Chartists invited to by shares.
- could win plots of land to cultivate
24
Q
Who was the land plan popular with?
A
- working class
- by 1848, 100,000 people had subscribed to five communities
25
How did the authorities respond to the land plan?
- hounded O'connor on legal grounds and financial mismanagement
- Leads to failure and discredits the chartist movement
26
Why did support for chartism increase by 1848?
- bad harvest - return of economic depression
| - revolutions in Europe
27
What chatist events kicked of 1848?
- 3rd petition and convention in April
| - Mass meeting in Kennington common
28
How did the government react to Kennington common (1848)?
-7000 troops
4000 policemen
85,000 special constables (m/c)
29
Was Kennington common (1848) successful?
- Only attracted 20,000
- O'Connor agreed to terms that procession can't cross Thames
- on examining the petition, many signatures were fake ("Queen Victoria"), so government rejects
30
How did the people react to the rejection of the third petition in 1848?
- Upsurge of violence in chartist heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire
- Many arrests made
- After 1848 there was a rapid decline in chartism
31
How were women involved in chartism?
- Heavily involved but overlooked, as they are not leaders and are not arrested
- Raised money
- Organised local activities
- Exclusive dealing
32
Did women's involvement in Chartism change over time?
- role declines over course of movement
- role of women used to show chartists as less serious, so leaders lessened their role
- NCA also reduced involvement of women
33
Was women's involvement in Chartism significant?
- Greater involvement went Chartism was at its strongest
- all support = strength?
- Undermined the movement somewhat
- Partly responsible for new directions
34
How were Trade unions involved in Chartism?
- originally rivals competing for support
| - fairly close relations until 1842 strikes
35
Did Trade unions' involvement in Chartism change over time?
-1842 as a turning point , skilled industrial workers concentrate on union campaigns (felt Chartism was unlikely to succeed
36
Was Trade unions' involvement in Chartism significant?
-provide a different direction for campaigns after 1842. Symptom of Chartism rather than cause.
37
What was the relation between chartists and the ACLL?
- distraction from, and competition for, the chartists
- Tensions
- m/c organisation
38
Who were the leaders of the ACLL?
John Bright
| Richard Cobden
39
What are the strengths of Moral force?
- retains moral high ground
- ensures focus on the strength of the cause
- proves worthiness of supporters
40
What are the weaknesses of Moral force?
- Naïve and unlikely to succeed
| - allows authorities to easily deal with Chartism
41
What are the strengths of Physical force?
-best means of success, as they have greater numbers on their side
42
What are the weaknesses of Physical force?
- undermined moral case
- played in to the authorities hands
- counter productive
