History: Power and the people - Chartism

causes

• poor harvest - it worsened economic problems (increased food prices)

• industrial revolution - working classes had to work more hours

who wrote the peoples charter

william lovett

what were the 6 demands

• votes fore males over 21 (less than 5% had this right = white elites)

• secret ballots

• no property qualifications for MP’s

• Mp’s to be paid

• equal sized constituencies

• annual elections

was it a success

• no it failed in the short term because many of the demands e.g. secret ballot was only allowed in 19th century

• yes because now we have each one except annual elections

how many protesters gathered in london

above 50,000

how many overall supporters were there

millions across britain

short term significance

• increased working class awareness - better wages

• new trade unions - better wages

• only a few reforms were made in the short term

how did the government respond

• used military, police and arrests to supress protests

• chartists were imprisoned or transported to australia

• more surveillance of radical groups

long term significance

• eventually they got every demand except annual elections

• growth of the labour party

• created a SHIFT towards democracy - equal rights for everyone

who was the Queen

Victoria