chartism

chartism (1837–54) was the first attempt to build an independent political party representing the interests of the labouring sections of the nation. For many of its followers chartism was basically ‘a knife and fork question’. Yet its programme was a series of political demands. The chartists were so named because they formulated their demands in a six‐point charter: universal (manhood) suffrage, annual parliaments, vote by (secret) ballot, abolition of property qualifications for MPs, payment of MPs, and equal electoral districts. The object was to make the charter the law of the land by legal, constitutional means if possible, or by force if necessary. Great efforts were made to collect support for a petition to the House of Commons, but on each occasion the House rejected its demands. Alternative methods were therefore advocated. There were plans for making the central body of chartist delegates the national convention, a people's parliament which would bypass Westminster; a general strike (‘national holiday’) was attempted in August 1839; and local riots, and perhaps an abortive insurrection (the Newport rising) in November 1839, showed that ‘physical force’ might not be ruled out.

In its origins chartism was an umbrella movement which drew together many strands of radical grievance. In London and the provinces Working Men's Associations were formed in 1837; in Birmingham, the movement at first was closely allied with middle‐class radicals and currency reformers; in Leeds, Owenite socialists combined with middle‐class radicals and physical‐force militants. In other towns of the West Riding and the industrial north local grievances included the 1834 New Poor Law. Attempts to build a national organization repeatedly fell apart; and the most effective link between chartists was the widely read chartist newspaper the Northern Star. The chartists failed to achieve their six points which, with the exception of annual parliaments, were realized later.