Britain Depth (2): Chartism c.1838-1850 Flashcards
The National Convention 1839
Organised meeting of chartists to discuss plans to propose petition to parliament. 53 members met. Disagreements set in over tactics. In general, southern representatives were more moderate whilst Northerners favoured violence. Reports that in Newcastle-on-Tyne weapons were being prepared. Reconvened in Birmingham with 35 members and planned out a ‘sacred month’ and a run on the banks.
The Newport Rising 1839
John Frost led 5000 miners in a protest march to Westgate hotel. Due to poor organisation one segment arrived to the hotel too early so only 1/3 of the 5000 troops were present. This led to 24 deaths and 125 arrests. Between June 1839 and July 1840, over 500 chartists were arrested, including most of the leaders.
First petition 1839
3 miles long. Defeated 235 voted to 46. 1.2 million signatures. Some wanted to respond with national rebellion, some wanted to avoid the use of physical force. Sacred month was voted down by the convention 13 votes to 6.
Second petition 1842
In 1842 there were 50,000 chartists and 40,000 branches. This was significant for the scale of mass petitions presented to parliament. 3.3 million signatures. Rejected 287 votes to 49. Led to the plug plot which involved removing plugs from factory boilers to prevent them from being used.
Third petition 1848
In 1848 revolutionary fervour spread across Europe. Chartism often fluctuated in line with economic conditions. Boasted to have over 5 million signatures only ended up having under 2 million. Chartism was effectively dead, but it’s legacy lived on fuelling radical movements which persisted through the 17th century. Was rejected once again and gov formed an investigative committee which discredited the document.
The Kennington Common Rally 1848
April 1848. The idea was to form an intimidatingly huge crowd that would march from Kennington common to Parliament to deliver the 1848 petition.
Calvary and infantry were stationed at the south side of the bridges across south side and more troops along the north side. 10,000 men could have been concentrated in minutes at any given spot. 170,000 citizens were sworn in as special constables to assist the police.
Demonstration was a damp squib. Only 20-25,000 showed when up to 200,000 had been expected, in part, due to bad weather. Chartists were humiliated.
William Lovett
Formed the LWMA in 1836. Studied and debated the ideas that would form the people’s charter. Often seen as the voice of moderate Chartism. Favoured ‘moral force’ to achieve the movements aims. After the bull ring riots of 1839 he was sentenced to 12 months in jail for seditious libel. Disillusioned w/ the leadership of the movement he stopped campaigning after he release in 1840.
Fergus O’connor
Began his political career in Ireland as an MP. Impact on Chartism was monumental. Joined the LMWA in 1836. 1837 moved to Leeds and began the Northern Star which became the organ of the Chartist cause. Advocated the use of ‘physical force’. April 1843 he proposed plans for a Land scheme in the NS and proposed the scheme publicly under the name of the Chartist Cooperative Land Society. Was a disaster and ceased functioning after 1848.
Why did Chartism fail to achieve it’s aims by 1850?
- Divisions in leadership
- Divisions in tactics
- Divisions in working class support
- Difficulty coordinating actions
- Attraction of alternative campaigns
- No lasting support from Trade Unions
Women and Chartism
During the 1840s - women weren’t offered a role in the National charter association committees and subsequently were reluctant to attend NCA meetings
Never considered for roles in the national movement
Just under 100 female chartist associations.
Elizabeth Hansen led the Elland female radical association which suggested women should cooperate with men in their work of regeneration. “Females of all ages have been the best advocates for liberty”.
Women largely involved in fundraising activities.
Shopping boycott.
Chartism and the middle class
Failed to gain the support of the so-called ‘aristocracy of labour’, the highly paid and highly skilled craftsmen and the growing number of engineers and other skilled men working on the railway network.
ACLL = Manchester 1838, claimed the working classes would also benefit from the repeal of the Corn Laws because repeal would inevitably lower the price of bread.
Enjoyed some middle-class support in the early years.
-In the 1840’s they attempted to join forces with the Anti-corn law league and complete suffrage union, but this was never successful. The differences in aims were too different, and the CSU soon collapsed.
Opposition:
-They quickly lost support as the movement was increasingly violent and dangerous, following 1832 the chartists were reluctant to work with middle class groups again: the philosophical gulf between the ideas of middle class free trade and the political ambitions of the working class were too wide to be bridged effectively.
Chartism and Trade Unions
In 1834 When the GNCTU had collapsed and the Tolpuddle martyrs were transported to Australia trade union activity had essentially collapsed. Those small unions that survived were allowed to exist, but could be prosecuted for strike actions.
In 1839 They saw the proposal for the sacred month and knew if it was carried out it would lead to government reprisals of the trade union movement.
O’Connor tried to form an alliance with the Trade Unions by changing the name of his newspaper to the ‘Northern Star and National Trades Journal.’
National support
In Suffolk Chartism was active in the large towns of Ipswich, but had little support in outlying villages or in the fishing ports.
Enjoyed its strongest support in the expanding industrial areas of the Midlands and the North. e.g. Manchester, Stockport, Ashton-under-Lyne.
Never largely supported in Ireland.
Only 1% of Essex and Suffolk combined supported Chartism.
Difficult to sustain allegiance to Chartism in London due to it’s sheer size in terms of geography and population.
Use of police forces
1839-48, more than 3,500 chartists were tried.
1929 Peel = The Metropolitan Police Act - set up a single, professional and uniformed force of around 1000 men charged with maintaining order in London and surrounding counties. Extended by the Rural Police Act 1839 which empowered authorities in counties and boroughs to raise their own police forces, which were paid for by a local rate.
Physical force
Britain wasn’t involved in European conflicts so used armed forces to maintain domestic peace. Wellington encouraged that, troops were deployed to the plug riots in 1842. 1500 arrested, 79 guilty.
1848 was the year of revolutions in Europe which created fear for the government.
