Chartism - The Government Response to Chartism

Question 1

Government response until 1838 - Who was gov of 1835-41 led by?

Answer 1

Gov of 1835-41 was a Whig gov led by Viscount Melbourne

Question 2

Government response until 1838 - What was the view of both parties about the Great Reform Act?

Answer 2

The view from the Whigs and the Tories was that the Great Reform Act had sufficiently amended the constitution and no further change was desirable or necessary

Question 3

Government response until 1838 - Evidence of MP’s feeling sympathy for Chartism?

Answer 3

There were also a number of MPs who were sympathetic with the Chartists, with each petition gaining around 50 votes in favour in Parliament

Question 4

Government response until 1838 - Why was real P support untenable?

Answer 4

However, the disorganised nature and clear association with violence made any real parliamentary support untenable

Question 5

Government response until 1838 - Whig views on Chartist movement?

Answer 5

Although they did not agree with the Chartist movement, the Whigs generally believed in the importance of freedom of ideas and liberal thinking – therefore the gov took no real direct action against the Chartists, including not breaking up large peaceful meetings such as the Manchester Kersall Moor meeting of Sep 1838 which involved around 30,000 people

Question 6

Government response from 1839 - What changed in gov response following more violent Chartist action?

Answer 6

Following the more violent actions in Birmingham with the riots, the gov took a more direct role of opposing the Chartists

Question 7

Government response from 1839 - Two main gov tactics?

Answer 7

The two main tactics used were to arrest the leaders on charge of seditions or libel and put them in prison, and to use police and soldiers to break up marches and protests

Question 8

Government response from 1839 - What allowed the gov to be ready for the Chartists?

Answer 8

The gov was now prepared to deal with the Chartists as in 1829, the Metropolitan Police had been established in London, and the Rural Police Act 1839 had established police forces in several counties around Britain

Question 9

The significance of Major General Napier - How was the Army used and what was Major General Napier given command of?

Answer 9

Army mainly used in the North against more radical Chartist group – Sir Charles Napier given command of the military forces in the 11 Northern districts between 1839 and 1842

Question 10

The significance of Major General Napier - Did he sympathise with the Chartists?

Answer 10

Had sympathies with the radicals and has seen first hand and understood the economic difficulties faced by people in poverty – as a boy he witnessed the 1798 Irish rebellions and knew well the potential danger of a discontented pop

Question 11

The significance of Major General Napier - Did he respect the Chartists and did he think their tactics would work?

Answer 11

Had respect for Chartist intentions but did not believe that any of their tactics could have any real chance of success

Question 12

The significance of Major General Napier - How did Napier limit the violence?

Answer 12

In many ways. it is Napier who should be credited with limiting the violence – as an experienced miliary man with first hand battle experience, it is likely that this contributed to his calming effect on his officers and his desire to avoid bloodshed

Question 13

The significance of Major General Napier - What did Napier realise about the Northern army?

Answer 13

When he took command of the Northern army, he realised that it was badly organised and that local commanders were unaware of what local Chartist threat existed

Question 14

The significance of Major General Napier - How did Napier change the Northern army?

Answer 14

He reorganised and disciplined the force, assuring local magistrates with the promise of a military ready to protect them, so that they did not overreact to meetings and local groups in the manner that led to the violence of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre

Question 15

The significance of Major General Napier - How is he personally responsible for preventing a potentially chaotic outcome?

Answer 15

He also exercised restraint with the use of troops, holding back and avoiding confrontation, even when armed militias drilled and marhced – in this sense, he is probably personally responsible for preventing a potentially chaotic outcome

Question 16

The impact of the growth of the rail network - What did railways speed up and what did this lead to?

Answer 16

Railways sped up urbanisation which generated migration, lowered wages and increased overcrowding – therefore had an indirect long-term impact on the emergence of Chartism

Question 17

The impact of the growth of the rail network - What did railways do more directly?

Answer 17

More directly, the railways allowed soldiers to be moved quickly from one location to another to counter rising threats in Birmingham, Newport, or elsewhere, and allowing the gov to respond quickly to these threats

Question 18

The impact of the growth of the rail network - What did this mean for the Chartists?

Answer 18

Therefore, the Chartist marches and protests could not get a foothold before troops were available on the scene – furthermore, the spread of the electric telegraph in the 1840s simplified the gov and army’s ability to coordinate their responses