Chartism 1

 Chartism was a predominantly working class political movement which existed between 1836 – 50, which attempted to address working class grievances thrown up as a consequence of the industrial revolution. Chartism’s goal:  To force government to accept, by means of the mass petition, the “Six Points of the People’s Charter”.  Governments’ acceptance of the six points would result in a large influx of working men into parliament where they would have the power to pass laws beneficial to the working classes The Basics

 1A vote for every man of twenty one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for crime.  2The Ballot, to protect the elector in the exercise of his vote.  3No property qualification for members of parliament – thus enabling the constituencies to return the man of their choice, be he rich or poor.  4Payment of members, thus enabling an honest tradesman, working man, or other person to serve a constituency, when taken from his business to attend the interests of the country. The People’s Charter

 5Equal constituencies, securing the same amount of representation for the same number of electors, instead of allowing small constituencies to swamp the votes of large ones.  6Annual parliaments, thus presenting the most effectual check to bribery and intimidation, since though a constituency might be bought once in seven years (even with the ballot), no purse could buy a constituency (under a system of universal suffrage) in each ensuing twelve months and since members, when elected for a year only, would not be able to defy and betray their constituents as now. The People’s Charter

 Luddism, a blind, violent reaction  & Reform riots: Political  GNCTU: Industrial  Chartism: Political What were the particular grievances of the Chartists and why did Chartism emerge when it did?  1 Living and working conditions  2 Failure of the 1832 Great Reform Act  3 The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act  4 The failure of trade unionism  5 Trade depression, unemployment, hunger and anger The Nature of earlier protest

1 Living and working conditions  Truck shops, truck wages and long (subsistence) pay  Slums (no building regulations)  Disease and early death. Infant mortality reached 1/3 rd in industrial areas  Dangerous conditions in work  Long hours Factory Act meant failure of ‘Ten Hour Movement’. Act applied to workhouse children only and only in cotton mills Causes of Chartism

2 Failure of 1832 ‘Great Reform Act’  Betrayed by middle classes, W/C still unenfranchised 3 The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834  Indoor relief only  Punished poor for poverty, poverty treated as a crime  Aim: reduction of taxes  Split families, Demeaning tasks  Conditions inside to be worse than life of the poorest outside  Andover Scandal Causes of Chartism

4 Failure of trade unionism (Tolpuddle Martyrs 1834)  Failure of 1832 prompted move to industrial stage  GNCTU failure  Trade unions remain ‘dead letter’ until Trade depressions, unemployment, hunger and anger  Depressions: 1837, 1839, 1842, 1847  1848 ‘Year of Revolutions’ across Europe  Chartism becomes mass platform during depressions  Economic upturn provides employment, Chartism shrinks but remains. Knife and fork question? Causes of Chartism