Radical Reformers 1790-1819

What two events in the 1780-1800 period contributed to a growing interest in political affairs among working class people?

The American Revolution and the French Revolution.

Who formed the Society for Constitutional Information and when?

Major John Cartwright in 1780

What happened to the support of the Society for Constitutional Information and why?

From 1783 its support fell as its members joined other organisations - it ceased to exist after 1795.

Who founded the London Corresponding Society and when?

Thomas Hardy (a shoemaker) in 1792.

What did the LCS work to promote and how did they do so?

The political education of its members through publishing pamphlets promoting their views

What was the key pamphlet produced by the LCS published in November 1792 called?

the Address of the London Corresponding Society to the other Societies of Great Britain

What did the LCS set out their methods to be in their pamphlet?

Made clear that their methods would be peaceful: they intended to petition parliament rather than organise mass, and potentially violent demonstrations

What did Pitt believe about the LCS?

That the society was not so much a political organisation, but had the potential to become a military body

When was The Association for Preserving Liberty and Property against Republicans and Levellers established and who were they supported by?

1792. Supporters were drawn almost exclusively from the middle class.

What was the government's reaction to the Association movement?

They supported the movement and played its part by using the loyalist press to promote patriotic propaganda, by giving secret help to the associations and by taking action against the reformers

Who was Sir Francis Burdett?

A radical MP who was a long time supporter of the reforms.

What were reform meetings in London during the early months of 1816 like?

proved uncontroversial, and were concerned as much with the relief of the poor as with political reform.

What were the followers of Thomas Spence unhappy with and what did they decide to do as a result?

Unhappy with such a moderate stance, and planned a mass meeting in east London, which they hoped would lead to violent rioting and disorder.

Who was invited to address a meeting called to take place at Spa Fields in November 1816?

Henry 'Orator' Hunt

How many people were at the Spa Fields meeting and what when was the last time there was a meeting of similar size?

10,000 people
the largest gathering seen in London since the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780

When was the second Spa Fields meeting?

2nd December 1816

What were the Spenceans reaction to Hunt and what did they go onto do upon leaving the meeting?

They stirred up sections of the crowd and urged them to take a course of direct action not suggested by Hunt.
A number of people left the meeting, looted a number of gunsmiths, and set off to seize the Tower of London and the Royal Exchange

What was the Mayor of London's reaction to the Spa Field Meeting when it dissolved into violence?

Quick action - sent his force of constables to disperse the rioters and had them arrest their leader

What did the trial of the Spa Field ringleaders in 1817 expose?

Exposed the role of government informers and spies in the Spa Fields affair. The defect was able to prove that a gov. informer had encouraged the riot, and that he had duped the ringleaders into taking extreme action.

What was The Leeds Mercury reaction to the Spa Fields riot?

Despite being a strong supporter of radicals they condemned it.

Where did a number of revolutionary activists hold meetings in the early months of 1817 and what did they discuss there?

in Pentridge, a village in Derbyshire, where they discussed plans for an insurrection.

Who were the Pentridge activists joined by in May 1817 and what did he do?

Oliver, he persuaded the meeting that radicals in London were preparing an uprising in the capital for 9th June, which would be supported by similar actions throughout the country.

Who was Oliver in reality?

A former convict called Richards who was in the pay of Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary. Not only did he spy on radical groups, but in this instance he acted as an agent provocateur, intending to lead the Pentridge activists into illegal and treasonable activities.

What happened as a result of Oliver successfully convincing the Pentridge activists?

On 9th June their leader, Jeremiah Brandreth, led 300 men towards Nottingham, intending to seize the city. The system of spies was proved effective and the 80 rebels were arrested before they even reached the city.

What did the Leeds Mercury publish a week after the Pentridge Rising 1817?

A detailed investigation that exposed Oliver's role in the rising. Its editor Edward Baines blamed the government rather than the activists for the whole affair

What happened to the ringleaders of the Pentridge Rising 1817?

14 men were transported, and Brandreth, along with two others, was hanged and beheaded in public.

What did Henry Hunt do in 1818?

Stood for election to parliament, but his advocacy of parliamentary reform was unpopular with the electorate and he was easily defeated.

Why was Manchester fertile ground for working-class radicalism?

There was a long tradition of trade unionism in the region, and large textile mills, employing hundreds of people, had given rise to a working-class identity that was separate from the middle-class employers.

What was the march of the Blanketeers in 1817?

Around 300 textile worker marchers, saw off by a crowd of 10,000 in Manchester, arrested and dispersed by local yeomanry at Stockport (only 6 miles from Manchester).

Who was invited to address the meeting that went on to be known as Peterloo?

Henry Hunt

When and where was Peterloo held?

Held on 16th August 1819 at Saint Peter's Fields.

How many people were at the Peterloo meeting?

80,000

How did the crowds react to the arrival of the yeomanry at Peterloo and how did the yeomanry defend themselves?

Some stones were thrown at the troops who defended themselves by hacking at the crowd with their sabres.

How many were dead and how many injured at Peterloo?

11 dead and over 500 injured

What did the event at St Peter's Field provoke?

widespread national revulsion, leading to several outbreaks of rioting and the further growth of political unions

How does historian Gash view the events of Peterloo?

'Peterloo was blunder: it was hardly a massacre.' 'It was because Peterloo was uncharacteristic that it achieved notoriety.'

What was the government's response to the magistrates after Peterloo?

They congratulated the Manchester magistrates for their prompt action in dispersing the crowd at St. Peter's Fields.

What was radicalism often associated with that made the movement unsuccessful?

Equated with revolution

How effective was radicalism in the 1790s?

The French Revolution ideas influenced British pamphlets and the arguments of Burke and Paine left a profound and lasting impact on public opinion.

How many children were being educated in 1820? What does this show?

675,000 children, literacy rates were rising.

What did the number of papers printed annually rise form in 1690 to 1785?

From one million in 1690 to 14 million in 1785

What did Pitt fear about newspapers and what happened because of this?

Pitt feared large numbers of literate working-class men would gain access to radical printed propaganda and thus, between 1789 and 1815 the duty on newspapers rose from 1 and 1/2d to 4d

What was the circulation of Leeds Mercury by 1800?

3000

What were established in the Northern towns after the French Wars?

Hampden clubs

How did national figures lead to the failure of radicalism?

No figures were prepared to take up positions of leadership, Corbett was a journalist and propagandist not an active agitator and Henry Hunt's oration was not transformed into political action.

How did the reform climate change from 1810?

Radicals were better organised than before, and the ideas of reform were supported by people drawn from all social classes.

What did the LCS and the SCI do in 1793?

Sent delegates to a meeting in Edinburgh to agree on the calling of a national reform convention with the sole intention of pressing for parliamentary reform.

What was the government's reaction to the meeting in Edinburgh in 1793?

They saw the meeting as potentially subversive, sent in troops and arrested several of the delegates.

What did the reform societies announce in 1794?

A national reform convention

What happened as a result of the reform groups announcing a national reform convention in 1794?

The government arrested several leaders of the LCS and SCI, and charged them with high treason. At the same time, Parliament suspended habeas corpus

Why did Pitt fear the LCS even though it only had 5000 members at its height?

He overestimated their size and power and was convince the organisation was expanding rapidly

What happened at the trials of the accused at the end of 1794?

The government were unable to present a convincing case to the courts in order to support the charge of high treason. After lengthy trials the jury acquitted all the defendants.

What happened to the LCS after the 1794 trials even though the defendants weren't acquitted?

Most of the LCS leadership, including Hardy, withdrew from radical politics. For the rest of the 1790s the government continued to harass radical movements.

Why were there economic issues in 1795?

The French War had dislocated Britains overseas trade, leading to rapidly rising unemployment in industrial towns. These difficulties were compounded by poor harvests and the inevitable rise in food prices.

What did the Treason Act 1795 do?

Made it an offence to kill, or even to harm the king. Treason was also defined as any intention 'to intimidate or overawe either Houses of Parliament.

What did the Seditious Meetings Act 1795 do?

Restricted the size of public meetings to 50 people, unless they were approved in advance by the magistrates.

How were Pitt's policies successful?

Radical activity rapidly diminished, and was supplanted for many years by the development of patriotic feeling as a result of the long years of war against France.

When did the French wars come to an end?

1815

What 3 measures did Liverpools government pass during 1817 to continue the suppression of radical activity?

- Treason Act of 1795 made permanent.
- Habeas corpus suspended for all those suspected of treasonable activities.
- The Seditious Meetings Act 1817 gave Justices of the Peace the power to attend any public meeting and disperse it if it was deemed unlawful

What did the 1817 measures become known as?

'The Gagging Acts'

Were the gagging acts successful?

Succeeded in their aim of quelling unrest in the short term. When most of their terms lapsed in 1818 however, radical activities sprung up once more.

Who proposed The Six Acts 1819 after the disturbance of Peterloo?

The Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth.

What was the Unlawful drilling act 1819?

Banned unlawful military-style drilling, with the harsh penalty of transportation imposed on any law breakers

What did the Seizure of Arms Act do?

Empowered magistrates to enter any property where they suspected arms were being stored

When was the Seditious Meetings Prevention Act eventually repealed?

1824

What did the Newspapers and Stamp Duties Act 1819 do?

The number of publications that had to pay the stamp duty was extended, and the amount to be paid was increased substantially.

What was Paine's view on the French Revolution and who did he strongly oppose?

He welcomed the Revolution of 1789 hoping it would lead to a democratic system of government for France.
He strongly opposed the conservative ideas put forward by Edmund Burke.

What book by Edmund Burke did Paine write a response to and what was his response called?

Burke's 'Reflections on the Revolution in France' replied in the form of the 'Rights of Man'

How does historian Evans summarise the importance of Paine's work?

'the publication of his Rights of Man is perhaps the single most important even in the history of British radicalism.'

What did government depend on for Paine?

Not on divine or hereditary right, but on the consent of all men equally.

How many copies did the Rights of Man sell in the 3 years after its publication?

200,000 copies

What was issued in 1792 and who was it seen to be aimed at?

A royal proclamation was issued against 'seditious writings which have been printed, published and industriously dispersed.' Many saw this as aimed directly at Paine who wisely fled to France.

What did Mary Wollstonecraft write?

A Vindication of the Rights of Women, the first counter blast to Burke's Reflections. She argued that Burke's support of tradition could be used to justify the continued subjection of women and children. She promoted individual rights and the importance of family.

Who breathed new life into reform in 1812?

Major John Cartwright

What did Cartwright form in 1812 and what was it named after?

The Hampden Club in London named after John Hampden, one of the leading opponents of Charles I in the English Civil War

What was the membership of the London Hampden Club like?

Exclusive: its high annual subscription of 2 guineas limited its membership to a very small number of middle-class and aristocratic men

What did Cartwright encourage in 1816, how were they different?

The creation of regional Hampden Clubs. Membership was open to all who could pay a weekly subscription of one penny - in many ways the clubs filled the gap left by the demise of the LCS

What did the growth in the popularity of the Hampden Clubs persuade Cartwright to do in 1817

Invite local delegates to a plenary meeting in London to settle matters of policy. They agreed on universal suffrage and annual parliaments.

What did magistrates in Manchester try to do to take down the local Hampden Club?

Employed spies who attended club meetings and filed reports, which usually exaggerated the threat posed by the radicals. Acting on these reports, magistrates arrested club members, charging them with attending seditious meetings.

What did journalist Cobbett establish in 1800 and what did it become?

'Cobbett's Political Register' became one of the leading independent sources of impartial news

What was the 'Register's' circulation by 1805?

4000

What did Cobbett publish a number of articles denouncing in 1809?

The cruel and inhuman puissant of some soldiers stationed at Ely in Cambridgeshire mutinied because they hadn't been paid subsequently sentenced to 500 lashes each.

What happened to Cobbett in 1810?

He was tried for seditious libel against the armed forces and was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

What did Cobbett decide to do in 1816 so that the 'Political Register' would reach more people?

Issued a single sheet of the newspaper for just 2 pence, which meant that the paper wouldn't have to pay the high newspaper duty set by the government.

What did Hunt propose for the first time at a mass meeting, at Spa Fields?

Universal suffrage

What happened to Hunt due to his role at Peterloo?

He was charged with promoting a seditious conspiracy, and in 1820 he was jailed for 2 and a half years.

What made Hunt instantly recognisable at meetings?

His trademark white top hat