Chartism - Fluctuations in Chartist Support

Question 1

London and the South - Where was initial support for Chartism?

Answer 1

Initial supports for the Chartist movement was from London and the South

Question 2

London and the South - What was the foundation of the six points of the People’s Charter?

Answer 2

The foundation of the six points of the People’s Charter was the London Working Men’s Association, and half of the representatives at the first National Convention were from London

Question 3

London and the South - What were the views of reps from the South like?

Answer 3

In general, representatives from the South were moderate in their intentions – as the Chartists came to be involved in more physical forms of protests, Southern support waned

Question 4

London and the South - How did Northern involvement affect Southern influence?

Answer 4

Also as the Chartist movement became dominated by industrial workers, who tended to be from the North of England, Southern influence reduced

Question 5

London and the South - What was the Southwest attitude to Chartism?

Answer 5

The Southwest was never a particular source of support for Chartism

Question 6

Birmingham - How was Birmingham significant in the early days of Chartism?

Answer 6

Birmingham and the Birmingham Political Union was a significant supports for the early Chartist movement

Question 7

Birmingham - What was the attitude of the Birmingham Chartists?

Answer 7

However, as with London, the Birmingham Chartists tended to be more moderate

Question 8

Birmingham - What happened to Birmingham support after the riots associated with the first petition?

Answer 8

After the riots associated with the failure of the first petition in 1839, the BPU distanced themselves from the Chartists and support in Birmingham fell

Question 9

The North - Importance of the North to Chartism and why?

Answer 9

The North was always important to the Chartist movement since the worst economic conditions and the most obvious politically-underrepresented areas were in the North

Question 10

The North - Where were the major centres of support?

Answer 10

Leeds, Manchester, Stockport, Newcastle, and Glasgow were major centres of support, and in the first convention, almost half the representatives were Northern

Question 11

The North - What happened as the Convention moved North?

Answer 11

As the convention moved North, the role of southern support reduced, and northern support became far more important

Question 12

The North - What happened during the petition years?

Answer 12

During the petition years, particularly 1839-40, Chartist militias formed and drilled, and weapons were collected and manufactured

Question 13

Middle class supporters - What was middle class support like at the start of the movement?

Answer 13

At the start, there were a number of middle class supporters of the Chartist movement

Question 14

Middle class supporters - Was there sympathy from middle classes?

Answer 14

As it started with the economic problems of industrial areas, there was significant sympathy from middle class, and even landed supporters – there were even middle class supporters in the first National Convention

Question 15

Middle class supporters - What happened to middle class support following Chartist violence?

Answer 15

However, following the Birmingham riots and the Newport uprising of 1839, the majority of middle-class support vanished

Question 16

Middle class supporters - What happened in the North and what effect did this have on the middle classes?

Answer 16

Furthermore, in the North, Chartists took an Anti-Corn Law League stance, which alienated middle class support

Question 17

Middle class supporters - Was middle class support going away the case everywhere?

Answer 17

This was not however the case universally, in Birmingham the Chartists took a more moderate stance and a group called the Complete Suffrage Union, which supported universal suffrage and the repeal of the Corn Laws – uniting working class and middle class support

Question 18

Working class support - What happened after 1840?

Answer 18

After 1840, the Chartist movement was extremely working class – the ideas of Chartism attracted skilled workers whose livelihood was being affected by economic fluctuations and who were experiencing the impact of living in underrepresented urban areas

Question 19

Working class support - Which groups in particular were attracted to the movement?

Answer 19

In particular, workers like coal miners and metal workers were attracted to the movement – factory workers did supports the movement, but not in such large numbers

Question 20

Working class support - How did Chartism fit with working class values?

Answer 20

Also, the idea of communally working together and collecting signatures on petitions fitted well with the close-knit communities that many working class people lived in

Question 21

Rural workers - Rural attitude towards Chartism?

Answer 21

Although working class, rural workers were largely unaffected by the Chartist movement and did not particularly support it

Question 22

Rural workers - Why were urban stances towards Chartism the way they were?

Answer 22

They did not face the same circumstances as the urban workers and the Poor Law Amendment Act has in some cases benefited them, and they did not have the same problems of under-representation, though their franchise was still limited

Question 23

Rural workers - What does the rural support also explain?

Answer 23

This also explains the North-South divide in Chartist support

Question 24

Women - % of signatures on the three petitions from women?

Answer 24

Significant source of Chartist support was from women – estimated 20% of signatures on the three petitions were from women

Question 25

Women - Examples of women’s divisions of Chartists groups

Answer 25

Many local Chartist groups has a women’s division EG the Hyde Chartist Society with 300 male and 200 female members, and the Birmingham Charter Association with 3000 female members

Question 26

Women - Other useful things women did for Chartism?

Answer 26

Women were crucial to fundraising and running Chartist Sunday school – the influence of women was most important from 1839 to 1842, and it started to peter out after the second petition