Chartism (movement)
Chartism was a political movement that emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-nineteenth century, driven by a desire for significant reforms in the political system. Chartists contended that the existing political framework favored the wealthy, leading to demands for universal male suffrage, annual parliamentary elections, the right for any eligible man to be a Member of Parliament, secret ballots for voting, and compensation for MPs, among other reforms. The movement officially began in 1838 amidst considerable political unrest, with the People's Charter serving as its foundational document, representing the collective voice of over 1.5 million supporters.
Despite their efforts, including multiple petitions to Parliament—each gaining millions of signatures—Chartist demands were systematically rejected, leading to widespread protests and riots. The government’s severe crackdown on dissent further fueled public discontent and rallied support for the movement. Alongside political reforms, Chartists also sought land redistribution to empower the working class economically. However, their efforts faced significant obstacles, culminating in the failure of their initiatives and the eventual dissolution of their prominent organizations. Chartism serves as a poignant example of the struggle for democratic rights and representation during a transformative period in British history.
Chartism (movement)
Chartism was a political movement that took place during the mid-nineteenth century. Chartists wanted to drastically change the balance of political power in the United Kingdom. Chartists believed that the political system of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century was unfairly skewed toward the rich. They demanded that all male citizens be given the right to vote, regardless of whether they owned property. They thought that Parliament should hold elections every year instead of every five years. They also thought that any male of the appropriate age should be allowed to become a Member of Parliament. Chartists argued that these changes would allow the average man to participate in the government, making Parliament more reflective of the common person's interests.
While they repeatedly attempted to enact reforms, the chartists were defeated by their political opponents. They also tried to use a private company to enact land redistribution to give the poor more leverage against the rich.
Background
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, England was a monarchy. The English people had grown dissatisfied with the absolute power of the king and queen. In response, the government created Parliament, a governing body staffed by both the nobility and the common people. For decades, Parliament and the royal family struggled over legislative power. Parliament believed that it should be able to check the legal power of the monarchy. Many monarchs disagreed. At times, the monarchy disbanded Parliament entirely, but after massive public outcries, the governing body was restored.
The balance of power between the people, Parliament, and the monarchy remained delicate throughout the nineteenth century. Parliament was divided into two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords was populated exclusively by the nobility. Common people could campaign for a position in the House of Commons. However, admission to the House of Commons was also heavily restricted. It required an applicant to be a landowner and older than a certain age and to meet a variety of other stipulations. Additionally, because appointments to the House of Commons were unpaid positions, only the wealthy could afford to take time away from their careers to fulfill the duties of the post.
Overview
Chartism officially began in 1838, when the United Kingdom was experiencing a period of severe political unrest. Chartists felt that the voice of the common person was not properly heard in the government. To remedy this, they called for six drastic modifications to the structure of the House of Commons. The first was that all men should have the right to vote on important matters. This gave the average man a way to directly interact with their government, removing the landholding requirement on voting rights. They demanded that all voting take place by secret ballot, removing the negative repercussions associated with voting against whatever party was in power at the time. They demanded that the time between Parliamentary elections be reduced from five years to a single year, allowing citizens to quickly react to any unfavorable behavior by their representatives. They demanded that all Members of Parliament should be paid, opening the position to those who could not afford to run for the position. Finally, they demanded that all parliamentary constituencies should be resized in a fairer manner.
All the chartist demands were written into a petition called the People's Charter, which was introduced to the House of Commons in June 1839. The People's Charter was signed by more than 1.5 million people, showing the overwhelming support of the common people held by the Charter.
Parliament rejected the petition before it ever reached the House of Lords. It failed in the House of Commons, with 46 votes in favor of the petition, but a crushing 235 votes against it.
The Chartists saw the defeat of the People's Charter as more evidence of the elite's power over the common people. They protested and rioted across the United Kingdom. In response, the government ordered the army to shut down the riots. While the military of the United Kingdom crushed the rioters and ended public demonstrations of dissent, it turned many more citizens against their government.
The Chartist leadership quickly regrouped after their defeat. They turned the dissatisfaction with the government, as well as the violent response to their protests, against the government. Chartist support grew steadily throughout the United Kingdom. In 1842, Chartist leaders presented a second petition to the House of Commons. This petition was far more popular than the last, boasting more than 3.3 million signatures. Unfortunately for the Chartists, members of Parliament were still against limiting their own power. The petition failed a second time, with 287 members of the House of Commons voting against it. Enraged, the Chartists continued their protests.
Six years later, the Chartists submitted a third and final petition. Chartist leaders claimed that this petition had more than five million signatures. However, the government claimed that the petition had fewer than two million signatures. The petition failed a third time, and the Chartists' goals for Parliamentary reforms failed with it.
In addition to their work with the People's Charter, Chartists tried to push land redistribution. They believed that giving land ownership back to the common people would make them economically powerful enough to challenge the elite. To accomplish this goal, Chartist Feargus O'Connor founded the National Land Company. The National Land Company sold stock to individual shareholders, and used its profits to buy large estates. It then divided the estates into smaller properties, which it randomly allotted to shareholders. Unfortunately for O'Connor, because lots were given randomly to small numbers of shareholders, the National Land Company was declared an illegal lottery and was seized by the government.
Bibliography
"The Bull Ring Riots." Parliament.uk, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/chartists/case-study/the-right-to-vote/the-chartists-and-birmingham/the-bull-ring-riots/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
"The Chartist Movement." Parliament.uk, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/chartists/overview/chartistmovement/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
"Chartists." Parliament.uk, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/chartists/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
"1839 Chartist Petition." Parliament.uk, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/chartists/case-study/the-right-to-vote/the-chartists-and-birmingham/1839-petition/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
Evans, Eric. "A British Revolution in the nineteenth Century?" BBC, 17 Feb. 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire‗seapower/revolution‗01.shtml. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
"Feargus O'Connor (c.1796 – 1855)." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic‗figures/oconnor‗feargus.shtml. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
"Parliament and Crown." Parliament.uk, www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/relations-with-other-institutions/parliament-crown. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
Roberts, Stephen. "The Chartist Movement 1838 – 1848." BBC, 20 June 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/chartist‗01.shtml. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.