Chartism: a people’s petition to Parliament

Chartism: a people’s petition to Parliament

1. early decades of the 1800s

   • industrial revolution and economic changes
     • Born movement called Chartism
       • Which mainly seeks the vote for all men over the age of 21
         • The first petition was presented to Parliament in 1839
           • Rejected
             • 235 votes to 46
               • Riots occur mainly in Birmingham
         • The second petition was presented to Parliament in 1842
           • Rejected
             • 287 votes to 49
               • Riots occur again, this time in Lancashire
         • In 1848 a third Chartist petition was presented (the ‘Monster Petition’.)
           • It had less than two million signatures, many false
           • Despite the fiasco of this petition, the Chartist movement gave expression to a number of proposals to produce a reformed parliamentary system
             • Universal manhood suffrage
             • abolition of the property qualification
               • Process of reform was slow and was not fully achieved until the early 20th century
             • secret ballot
       • This had the previous movement: CNGTU
         • previous movements brought riots