WERE THE CHARTISTS A HUNGER MOVEMENT OR A

POLITICAL MOVEMENT?

HISTORIAN’S VIEWS… J.R Stephens

Leeds MercuryPoor Man’s GuardianG.H.D ColeJ. BrayW.W RostowEdward Royle

Believe it was HUNGER

HarveyB. WilsonG. Stedman JonesD. ThompsonLenin

Believe it was POLITICAL

The Case for Chartism being a POLITICAL MOVEMENT

WE ARE A POLITCAL

MOVEMENT THAT WANT POLITICAL

THINGS!

Chartism is political because…

• It is based around the six points of the Charter and organised it’s ideas on political grievance – they are denied the vote among other things, making them a political movement.

• Ultimately the campaign was for a large parliamentary reform which is certainly a political issue

Chartism is political because..

• The history of political protests can be traced back to the end of the Napoleonic wars – Chartism grew out of the radical, political protest movements

• Chartism attacked laws such as the Poor Law Act 1834 as well as the Corn Law which affected them greatly.

Quotes from historians to support the view:

“The first broad and politically organised proletarian-revolutionary movement of the masses” – Lenin

“Chartism was a political movement demanding political rights and political participation” - D. Thompson, 1984

The case for Chartism being a HUNGER MOVEMENT

WE’RE FIGHTING BECAUSE WE

WANT LOTS OF FOOD

Chartism is about hunger because…

• Chartism grew in strength at the precise time the economy was undergoing recession

• In 1838-39 (the People’s Charter and first petition), 1841-2 (Plug riots and second petition) and 1847-48 (Third petition), when bread prices were high – Chartism was strong at these times. From 1843-46 Peel’s ministry was it’s most effective – with low social tension as the price of bread fell between these years, during these 3 years the Chartists were quiet. During this time Lovett also abandons the movement.

Chartism is about hunger because…

• It was strongest in areas where domestic industry was in decline – e.g. the West Country.Also when new jobs came from the railway boom there was a decline in radical activity

• Chartism was strong when jobs were scarce and bread prices were high, in 1848 the Corn Law was abolished and so bread prices became stable – Chartism as a whole seemed to fade after 1848.

Quotes from historians to support the view:

Mark Howell – “impatience endangered by breakfastless tables and fireless grates”

Edward Royle – “Chartism was fired by economic discontent, not the demand for political rights.”

J.R Stephens – “The question of universal suffrage is a knife and fork question… a bread and cheese question”

To conclude…

Chartism was bound by it’s own political principles, this coming from the Charter. However the Chartist movement was definitely more active towards times of economic struggle, this rendering the Chartist movement a “knife and fork” movement.