How did the Chartists
campaign for the vote?
Objectives
By the end of this
lesson you will be
able to:
■
describe what the
Chartists wanted
■
explain how they
tried to achieve
their aims
After the 1832 Reform Act, working men and those without much
property were still not able to vote.The Chartists were a group of
working men who campaigned to be allowed to vote. Let’s find out
how they went about it.
Getting you thinking
One of the groups who did not own property, and so could not
vote in elections, were ordinary working men.They wanted changes
made to their lives.They worked long hours in the new factories
and often lived in very poor conditions in the new factory towns. If
they lost their jobs, the only options were to starve or go into a
workhouse.They wanted parliament to pass laws to improve their
lives, but realised that this would not happen until they had the vote.
So they organised a protest movement, which became known as
Chartism.This name came from the People’s Charter, which had a
six-point list of demands:
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A vote for every man over the age of 21
Votes to be cast in secret
MPs should not have to own property
MPs should be paid
Each constituency should have an equal number of voters
Elections should be held every year
The Chartists campaigned by organising petitions, on three
occasions: in 1839, 1842 and 1848.They published a newspaper
called the Northern Star, held meetings and demonstrations and went
on strike. In November 1839, the Chartists armed themselves and
tried to capture Newport, this became known as the Newport
Rising.The battle lasted only half an hour.
The government did not listen to the Chartists. Many of their
leaders and members were arrested. Some were fined or imprisoned
and others transported to Australia.The movement disappeared after
1848, partly because of the government’s actions and partly because
living and working conditions improved. Many former Chartists
turned their attention to other causes, such as education and the
cooperative movement.
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