Chartism

Chartism A popular movement in Britain for electoral and social reform (1836–48). The REFORM ACT of 1832 had left the mass of the population without any voice in the country's affairs and widespread discontent was fuelled by a slump in the economy. The Chartist movement began with the formation of the London Working Men's Association, led by William Lovett and Francis Place, who drew up a programme of reform for the common people. In 1838 The People's Charter was launched at a meeting in Birmingham: it called for universal male suffrage, annual parliaments, vote by ballot, abolition of the property qualification for Members of Parliament, payment of Members of Parliament, and equal electoral districts. In 1839, the Chartists, now strongly influenced by the Irish radical Feargus O'CONNOR, met in London to prepare a petition to the House of Commons. The meeting revealed deep differences of opinion and after Parliament had rejected the petition, there was uncertainty about the movement's future. During that year there were riots in Birmingham and throughout the north of England; the Newport Rising took place in Monmouthshire, and several Chartist leaders were arrested and imprisoned. Reorganizing themselves, in 1842 the Chartists presented a second petition, signed by three million supporters, to Parliament, which again refused to listen to their claims. The plan for a final demonstration, to be held in London in 1848 for the purpose of presenting yet another petition, was called off after the government threatened military resistance, and the movement faded into insignificance, though many Chartists were later active in radical politics.