Britain and Parliamentary Reform: Radical Reformers (REDUX))

Define *Reflections on the Revolution in France*

Written in 1790 by Edmund Burke and condemned the French Revolution

* Burke advocated for moderate reform over violent revolution
* “The crowds of England… look upon the hereditary succession of the crown as among their rights, not as among their wrongs.” - Burke

Define *Rights of Man*

Written in 1791 by Thomas Paine in response to Edmund Burke and supported the French Revolution

* By May 1971, at least 50,000 copies of *Rights of Man* were in circulation
* Viewed the monarchy and aristocracy as being a ‘puppet show’
* “Every age and generation must be free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations that preceded it.“ - Paine

Define the London Corresponding Society

A federation of debating clubs inspired by the French Revolution in 1792 by Thomas Hardy and John Frost which agitated for Parliamentary reform

* Promoted universal male suffrage and annual Parliaments within their pamphlets
* Condemned by the Manchester Mercury and the loyalists to be ‘insidious vipers’
* Loyalists referred to a patriotic movement in Britain that was inspired by the Napoleonic Wars
* In 1794, 41 radicals, including Thomas Hardy, were arrested for treason, but acquitted in July
* Membership declined from 5000 in 1794 to 600 in 1797

Outline Luddism

Luddism was a movement of English textile workers in 1811-7 that aimed to de-mechanise industry and maintain male exclusivity in work

* The movement was inspired by Ned Ludd and the workers would call themselves Luddites
* While the movement ended in 1817, Luddism was in decline with the end of the Napoleonic Wars
* The 1812 Frame Breaking Act made machine-breaking a capital punishment
* Luddites were often punished with execution and penal transportation

Define the Hampden Clubs

Founded in 1812 by John Cartwright as a network of debating clubs to agitate for reform

* The Clubs were exclusively for the middle classes with a £2.10 annual membership fee
* The government called for a crackdown of radical dissidence
* Spies infiltrated meetings and often exaggerated reports, which led to Samuel Bamford and other radicals’ arrests in 1817

Define William Cobbett

Pamphleteer that created the 1802 Political Register to spread radical ideas

* Political Register reached 6000 copies in circulation in 1816
* Repeatedly tried for Libel in 1804-31 before his death in 1835
* Was forced to flee to America in 1817-9 during the suspension of Habeas Corpus
* Habeas Corpus refers to a Parliamentary Act that ensured nobody could be imprisoned unlawfully
* Later became a member of Parliament in 1832 after the Great Reform Act but died in 1835

Define Henry Hunt

Radical speaker who used mass platform and public demonstration to reach audiences

* Advocated for reform over violent revolution
* Hunt’s ideas were taught and derived from William Cobbett,
* Unlike writers and pamphleteers, Hunt could spread radicalism to the illiterate masses, which earned his nickname Orator
* After the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, Hunt was imprisoned for high treason and seditious conspiracy

Outline the Growth of Radicalism after the Napoleonic Wars

Because of the Napoleonic Wars, the British economy had deteriorated, which stimulated unpopular government policies to recover

* The British economy faced a depression following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, which can be seen in the £31 million annual debt
* Income tax was increased for everyday items such as sugar and tobacco
* European tariffs for British imports reduced by 30% in 1818
* The demobilisation of 300,000 British soldiers after the War resulted in mass unemployment

Define the Corn Laws

Foreign wheat and maize was banned in 1815 to maintain the high bread prices as seen during the Napoleonic Wars

* Since Parliament was composed of landowners, the MPs profited off high bread prices
* Wheat prices increased from 76 shillings in 1816 to 96 shillings in 1817
* The Year Without Summer in 1816 created poor harvests due to a volcanic winter
* Parliament introduced the 1816 Game Act to prevent poaching, which fueled further unrest and anger

Outline the Spa Fields Meeting

Henry Hunt addressed a crowd of 10,000 in London to request electoral reform from Prince Regent George IV

* Speanceans such as Thomas Preston and Arthur Thistlewood hijacked the Meeting and provoked rioting
* Speanceans referred to followers of Thomas Spence and supporters of violent revolution
* Rioters exchanged gunfire at the Royal Exchange after provocation from the Spenceans
* The Spa Fields Meeting was the largest public disturbance in London since the 1780 Gordon Riots
* Four leading Spenceans were arrested and charged with high treason
* The Spenceans were acquitted since Spencean John Castle was exposed as a government spy

Outline the March of the Blanketeers

5000 textile workers, such as hand-loom weavers marched to London to protest against the Prince Regent for the economic issues at Lancashire

* The Blanketeers were intercepted by the British cavalry, which resulted in 200 arrests and 13 leaders sent to prison
* Only 600 Blanketeers reached Newport
* The March led to the creation of the Manchester Yeomanry to quell Northern unrest

Outline the Pentrich Uprising

Incited by the spy named Oliver who claimed that London was preparing for violent revolution

* Jeremiah Brandreth led the conspirators
* Brandreth killed a servant after he and a number of conspirators raided an uncooperative house for weapons
* Brandreth threatened to shoot and kill deserters
* The conspirators were later intercepted by British cavalry and the Manchester Yeomanry
* 80 were arrested, while leaders such as Brandreth were hanged
* “Oliver” was exposed by the Leeds Mercury as a government spy, which fueled unrest

Outline Anti-Radical Legislature

* The 1792 Proclamation against Seditious Writings allowed spies to intercept and read letters
* The 1795 Treasonous Practices Act made spoken and written words treasonable
* The 1795 Seditious Meetings Act banned meetings composed of 50+ people without approval from a magistrate
* The 1817 Gagging Acts revised the Treasonous Practices and Seditious Meetings Acts

Outline the Peterloo Massacre

On 16 August, Hunt and Bamford platformed to 80,000 at St Peter’s Field about radical ideas

* The platform provoked the Manchester Yeomanry that charged, killing 11 and injuring over 500
* Some historians argued that the Massacre was unprovoked and became a national symbol for government repression
* Some historians argued that the Massacre was due to provocation from the crowd, which panicked the Yeomanry
* The *Manchester Observer* coined the term Peterloo Massacre
* Due to government pressures, the *Manchester Observer* was forced to close in 1820

Define the Six Acts

Following the Peterloo Massacre, a new wave of radicalism swept Britain and forced the government to intervene

* Halevy considers the Six Acts an extension of ‘counter-revolutionary terror’ in 1819
* Unlawful Drilling Act
* Seizure of Arms Act
* Misdemeanours Act
* Seditious Meetings Prevention Act
* Criminal Libel Act
* Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act
* The Six Acts created a ‘watertight blanket over radical activities’ according to Marlow

Outline the Cato Street Conspiracy

The Spenceans, namely Arthur Thistlewood, conspired to attack the British Cabinet on 22 February to provoke revolution during a dinner on 23 February

* Government spy Thomas Hiden called the Bow Street Runners and army to ambush conspirators on 23 February
* The ministers were informed and would meet elsewhere during the arrest
* When the Bow Street Runners attacked, Thistlewood shot one of them and escaped
* The conspirators were later found and arrested
* Thistlewood and four others were hanged
* Conspirators were exiled to Australia