Chartism 3 - Coleg y Cymoedd Moodle

Chartism 1

Chartism’s Failure Physical versus Moral force Chartism: Moral

(W. Lovett, F. Place, T. Attwood

Physical

(F. O’Conner, B. O’Brian, J. Frost)

‘Peacefully if we may, forcibly if we must’ 1839 rejection,: physical force results High point of physical force: Newport Physical force doomed to fail. Alarms: Middle classes Many working classes, the state Power and resources of the state: Soldiers, weapons, railways, spies, police, telegraph, money, legislation, organisation – would always win

Attitudes of the state System could not be improved Elite born to power Property afforded political rights Charter, far too radical Hand power to the masses? Uneducated, incapable, swinish multitude, residuum

Edmund Burke: “Along with civilisation, democracy would be cast into the mire and trodden under the hooves of the swinish multitude”

Chartist factionalism “All things to all men”

“Chartists not Chartism” Divisions: Physical Vs Moral force

Anti Poor Law Reform Act Trade unionists Political Chartists

Tee total Chartists Christian Chartists Unemployed and poor (mass base) “Knife and Fork”?

Regional divisions & M/C Attitudes Manchester

- Class conflict

Leeds

- Against new machinery

Birmingham

- Political

Tyneside

- Vote for skilled men only

“Chartism’s unity was more apparent than real” Middle class attitudes: Anti Chartism, property and wealth to protect Founded Anti Corn Law League 1839. Success 1846 Trade revivals: 1839, 1842,1849, erodes mass base

Other factors Events elsewhere: 1848 “year of revolutions

Rerun of 1789? Sees government determination Urban / rural divide Urban, industrial phenomenon

Britain, pre 1851, mostly rural Employment: agricultural and service, hard to organise Verdict on Chartism and its significance

Bound to fail, ahead of its time (5 points gained by 1918) Politicisation of labour movement. Lessons learned Promoted future demands and change