Chartism was a working class movement that began in 1836, and was active between 1838 and 1848. Its aim was to give voting rights to the working class. At the time, only those who owned property were allowed to vote. The movement was catalysed by the Poor Law Amendment of 1834, which separated families and drove the poor into workhouses. The People's Charter had six demands: - a vote for all men over 21 - secret ballots - no property requirement to become an MP - salaries for MPs - electoral districts of equal size - annual elections for Parliament Newspapers were important in promoting Chartist interests. The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser was the most successful regional newspaper. It was started in 1837 by Feargus O'Connor, an Irish MP. By 1839, it had the second largest circulation in the UK. Northern Star was an innovative newspaper. It abandoned the standard practice of devoting the front page to advertisements. Each issue was published in different editions tailored to specific regions. It pioneered newspaper "give aways" by giving engraved portraits of Chartist heroes to regular readers. O'Connor was one of the leaders of the Chartist movement. He was imprisoned for 18 months in March 1840 for printing seditious libels in the paper's columns. The movement presented 3 petitions to the House of Commons - in 1839, 1842 and 1848. Each of them was rejected. **1839** On 4 November, 1839, 5000 Chartists marched into Newport, in Monmouthshire. They were led by John Frost, William Jones and Zephaniah Williams. Troops opened fire on them, killing at least 22 people, and the leaders were arrested. The sentence for John Frost was brutal: > “You, John Frost, and you, Zephaniah Williams, and you, William Jones, be taken hence to the place from whence you came, and be thence drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, and that each of you be there hanged by the neck until you be dead, and that afterwards the head of each of you shall be severed from his body, and the body of each, divided into four quarters, shall be disposed of as Her Majesty shall think fit, and may Almighty God have mercy upon your souls.” **1842** The 1842 petition collected 3 million signatures. The Northern Star wrote an opinion on its rejection: > "Three and a half million have quietly, orderly, soberly, peaceably but firmly asked of their rulers to do justice; and their rulers have turned a deaf ear to that protest. Three and a half millions of people have asked permission to detail their wrongs, and enforce their claims for RIGHT, and the 'House' has resolved they should not be heard! Three and a half millions of the slave-class have holden out the olive branch of peace to the enfranchised and privileged classes and sought for a firm and compact union, on the principle of EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW; and the enfranchised and privileged have refused to enter into a treaty! The same class is to be a slave class still. The mark and brand of inferiority are not to be removed. The assumption of inferiority is still to be maintained. The people are not to be free." **1848** A march was planned for 10 April, 1848, inspired by a February 1848 revolution in France [[1848 European Revolutions]]. Parliament revived a statute dating to Charles II (1630-1685), which forbade more than 10 people from presenting a petition in person. It also mobilised 100,000 part-time constables to support the police force. O'Connor cancelled the march and delivered the petition in 3 cabs. --- Source: Wikipedia [[Reference Notes/The Quiet Before]]