CHARTISM

1. Which were the origins of Chartism?

The origins of the movement:

The Reform Act: In 1832 many workers were hoping that the Bill would give them the vote, but it gave them nothing so they campaigned for a reform.

Tolpuddle Punishment in 1834: Workers realized they could hope nothing from trade unions so they looked to political actions as a remedy.

The New Poor Law in 1834: Radicals invited workers to turn to political action so that the Act might be amended.

2. What did the chartists want? Mention the points

Chartist’s handbill: THE SIX POINTS OF THE PEOPLE’S CHARTER.

1) A vote for every man of twenty-one years old, with a sound mind and not undergoing any punishment for crime.

2) The Ballot to protect the elector in the exercise of his vote.

3) No property qualification for members of the Parliament.

4) Payment of members.

5) Equal constituencies.

6) Annual Parliaments.

3. What did Francis Place do in 1831?

In 1831 Francis Place formed the London-based National Union of the Working Classes to campaign for the reform Bill.

4. Who were the leaders of the “moral force” and the “physical force”?

In 1837 William Lovett led a group of skilled workers to form the London Working Men’s Association. This group is known as the “Moral Force” because of Lovett’s peaceful means. In 1837 Feargus O’cconor founded his paper The Northern Star to represent the view of North Country Chartists. As he did not think that Lovett’s peaceful means would succeed he called for violent action so this is known as the “physical force”.

5. When were the riots more violent?

The riots were violent after O’cconor’s calling for violent action. Weapons were collected, men were armed small groups drilled to prepare for an uprising. Anyway, such policies never could never have worked because the government was prepared to use the army and, moreover, the mass of workers would never have supported it.

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6. What happened in 1848?

In 1848 revolutions throughout Europe due to food shortages caused by harvests and increased unemployment as Europe began to industrialise. Chartists had had their last fling:

A fourth petition was prepared to be handed to the Parliament.

A mass rally was held on Kennington Common to support the handing-in of the petition.

The government appointed Wellington to take charge of London’s defence.

7. When were five of the six points finally achieved?

Between 1837 and 1839 there were years of economic depression with large-scale unemployment which forced the hard men who ran the New Poor Law to allow guardians to give aid to the unemployed without taking them into the workhouses. Chartism flourished in this period: 500 delegates met in 1837 where Thomas Attwood helped draw up the first National Petition outlining Chartist’s demands. Moreover, in 1839 there was a Chartist Convention in London after which Atwood presented a second petition to the Parliament.

8. Which points were achieved?

In time, all except one of the aims were achieved:

1867: A reform Act gave the vote to every male adult householder living in a borough constituency and to male lodgers paying ten pounds a year.

1872: The Ballot Act set up a secret voting system which is still in use.

1874: An Act abolished the need for candidates to own property.

1884: The Third Reform Act gave the vote to men in country constituencies on the same conditions as applied to men in boroughs after 1867.

1911: The Parliament Act provided for MP’s to be paid 400 pounds a year.

1918: When the First World War began in 1914 less than half the adult males had the vote.

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