The People's Charter. This document, written in 1838 mainly by William Lovett of the London Working Men’s Association, stated the ideological basis of the Chartist movement. The People's Charter detailed the six key points that the Chartists believed were necessary to reform the electoral system and thus alleviate the suffering of the working classes – these were: Universal suffrage (the right to vote) When the Charter was written in 1838, only 18 per cent of the adult-male population of Britain could vote (before 1832 just 10 per cent could vote).
The Charter proposed that the vote be extended to all adult males over the age of 21, apart from those convicted of a felony or declared insane. No property qualification When this document was written, potential members of Parliament needed to own property of a particular value. Annual parliaments A government could retain power as long as there was a majority of support.
Equal representation The 1832 Reform Act had abolished the worst excesses of 'pocket boroughs'. Internet History Sourcebooks. Modern History Sourcebook: Chartism: The People's Petition, 1838 Chartism was an English working class radical movement centered on a 'People's Charter" (1837) of six points. In 1838 a national Petition was collected and submitted to Parliament. National Petition Unto the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled, the Petition of the undersigned, their suffering countrymen. That we, your petitioners, dwell in a land whose merchants are noted for enterprise, whose manufacturers are very skilful, and whose workmen are proverbial for their industry. The land itself is goodly, the soil rich, and the temperature wholesome; it is abundantly furnished with the materials of commerce and trade; it has numerous and convenient harbours; in facility of internal communication it exceeds all others.
For threeandtwenty years we have enjoyed a profound peace. We can discover none in nature, or in Providence. Ursula Stange: Chartism. Chartism or The Chartist Movement. The "People's Charter," drafted in 1838 by William Lovett, was at the heart of a radical campaign for parliamentary reform of the inequities remaining after the Reform Act of 1832.
The Chartists' six main demands were: votes for all men; equal electoral districts; abolition of the requirement that Members of Parliament be property owners; payment for M.P.s; annual general elections; and the secret ballot. The Chartists obtained one and a quarter million signatures and presented the Charter to the House of Commons in 1839, where it was rejected by a vote of 235 to 46. Many of the leaders of the movement, having threatened to call a general strike, were arrested. When demonstrators marched on the prison at Newport, Monmouthshire, demanding the release of their leaders, troops opened fire, killing 24 and wounding 40 more. A second petition with 3 million signatures was rejected in 1842; the rejection of the third petition in 1848 brought an end to the movement. Chartism. John Leech Sketches: keyword chartist movement.
Taking Liberties - Star Items - People's Charter 1838. The 1832 Reform Act helped widen the vote a little beyond the wealthy few, but more action was needed. With bold declarations of fairer elections such as this, published in 1838, the Chartists campaigned vigorously for votes for all... men What was the People's Charter? The London Working Men's Association, formed in 1836, wanted "to seek by every legal means to place all classes of society in possession of their equal, political, and social rights. " They composed a six-point Charter, all of which had been advocated before.
It became known as the People's Charter, and its promoters the Chartists. What was the Chartists' response? This annoyed the more extreme Chartists led by former Irish MP Feargus O'Connor. Militants called for rebellion, and there were riots in Newcastle, Birmingham and elsewhere, where leading Chartists were arrested. Eventually, the Chartists split into several factions and their influence declined. What happened to the Chartists? How did the vote get extended? Chartism: the six points of the Charter and the London Working Men's Association. Chartist organisation Six points of the People's Charter and the role of the London Working Men's Association This page introduces the People's Charter and the London Working Men's Association, which instigated it.
THE SIX POINTS OF THE CHARTER 1. A vote for every man twenty one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for crime. 2. The ballot —To protect the elector in the exercise of his vote. 3. No property qualification for members of Parliament—thus enabling the constituencies to return the man of their choice, be he rich or poor. 4. Also on this site More about the petitions Chartism timeline Quick overview of Chartism The London Working Men's Association and its part in the People's Charter The six points of the People’s Charter are among the best known and least contestable set of political demands in modern history. A further meeting on July 17 agreed to invite 33 people to form the nucleus of the association. The six points of the People's Charter 1.