Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780–1928 - 2…

The idea

Chartism sought the six points of the People’s Charter: universal male suffrage, secret ballot, annual parliaments, equal electoral districts, payment of MPs and abolition of the property qualification. Its actions included the 1839 National Convention, which coordinated a petition and debated ‘ulterior measures’; the Newport Rising in November 1839, when armed marchers were fired on; three great petitions in 1839, 1842 and 1848; and the Kennington Common rally in April 1848, after which the petition’s signatures were disputed. Lovett favoured moral force, education and petitioning; O’Connor combined fiery oratory with the Land Plan and physical-force rhetoric. Failure by 1850 stemmed from internal divisions, government repression, economic recovery and the refusal of Parliament to concede.

What earns the marks

• Outlines the six aims of the People’s Charter and explains how they were intended to make Parliament accountable to working men.
• Explains the purpose and significance of the 1839 National Convention as a coordinating body that debated tactics and presented the first petition.
• Describes the Newport Rising of 1839 and assesses its impact, including arrests and the government’s use of force.
• Compares the three petitions of 1839, 1842 and 1848, noting the scale of support and the reasons each was rejected or discredited.
• Analyses the Kennington Common rally of 1848 and the controversy over the number of signatures on the petition.
• Contrasts Lovett’s moral-force emphasis on education and peaceful agitation with O’Connor’s leadership, oratory and Land Plan.
• Evaluates multiple reasons for Chartism’s failure by 1850, including internal divisions, repression, economic improvement and parliamentary resistance.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the Newport Rising with a peaceful petition.

  Put it right: It involved armed marchers and was suppressed by troops, leading to transportation of leaders.

• Assuming the 1848 petition was accepted because of its size.

  Put it right: Parliament rejected it and the disputed signatures damaged Chartist credibility.

• Treating Lovett and O’Connor as holding identical views.

  Put it right: Lovett stressed moral force and education, while O’Connor often used physical-force language and promoted the Land Plan.

Exam tips

• Organise answers around aims, actions and reasons for failure, using specific dates and names to support each point.
• When discussing the petitions, distinguish between the numbers claimed and the official response, and explain why the discrepancy mattered.
• For failure, avoid single-cause answers; weigh internal and external factors and show how they interacted.