In Our Time: History Chartism
Mar 9, 2023
Joan Allen, a Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University, Emma Griffin, a Professor at the University of East Anglia, and Robert Saunders, a Reader at Queen Mary University, dive into the dynamic world of Chartism. They discuss the launch of the People's Charter in 1838 and its demands for universal male suffrage. The trio explores how industrialization fueled this mass movement, the balance of moral and physical force in their tactics, and the significant role of women and religion. Their impact on British politics continues to resonate today.
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Nationwide Working-Class Politics Emerges
- Chartism launched the People's Charter in 1838 and became the first national working-class movement in Britain.
- They gathered six million petition signatures but Parliament repeatedly rejected their demands.
Industrial Cities Enabled National Organisation
- Industrialisation and urbanisation concentrated workers, raised wages for many, and enabled national organisation.
- That urban political infrastructure made Chartism a genuine nationwide movement rather than isolated local protests.
Harness Petitions To Build A Movement
- Use mass petitioning to unify disparate local grievances into a national campaign.
- Chartists deployed 'missionaries' and door-to-door signature drives to stitch local protests into one movement.