topic 10a - why did chartism fail?

traditional view - conclusion 1

chartism failed completely with 3 rejected petitions and after 1848 the movement fizzled out

this conclusion suggests that chartism was….

unsuccessful

traditional view - conclusion 2

chartism was not a complete failure as 5 of the demands on their charter had been met by the 19th century

what is the ‘economic factors’ interpretation of chartism?

the idea that chartism failed due to a rise in economic prosperity after 1848 as it removed the mass basis for widespread discontent

what argument does this interpretation use?

that chartism gained popularity during times of extreme economic distress (eg - the 1830s), suggesting it was an economically motivated movement

what is the ‘inherent weaknesses’ interpretation of chartism?

the idea that chartism failed due to a variety of internal factors

what are these internal factors?

divided leadership, regional differences and an underlying tactical naivety

what argument does the ‘inherent weaknesses’ interpretation use?

that chartism was a politically motivated movement which failed to incite major change due to its inability to accurately organise

what is a key example of this rivalry?

the rivalry between the two factions of chartism and their leaders

O'Connor and Lovett were unable to agree on tactics which caused…

regional fractures

what did these fractures mean?

the chartists were unable to protest as a united front and therefore didn't scare the government enough to incite major change

what else did these fractures contribute to?

the demands of the chartists being too complicated as they varied based on region

what is the ‘power of the state’ interpretation of chartism?

the idea that chartism failed due to the governments actions which were a combination of repression and reform

what is the argument the ‘power of the state’ interpretation uses?

that chartism was both economically and politically motivated

what could be argued as taking away most of the economic incentive for chartism?

Peels economic reforms from 1841-46

what other explanations are there for the failure of chartism?

industrialism and the anti corn law league

how could industrialism explain the failures of chartism?

with industrialism and the rise of larger cities, it was easier to divide working class communities who could then be isolated and socially controlled by the police and church

how could the anti-corn law league explain the failures of chartism?

they were successful where chartism failed

how did the anti corn law league gain success?

they had one clear goal, support from MPs and utilised their middle class demographic to fund campaigns