- The Peterloo Massacre (1819) happened when peaceful protesters in Manchester demanded parliamentary reform, but cavalry charged into the crowd, killing 11 and injuring hundreds.
- Instead of granting reforms after Peterloo, the government passed the Six Acts, which restricted free speech and public meetings, showing its fear of revolution.
- The Reform Act of 1832 extended the vote to parts of the middle class, but it disappointed working people, who were left excluded from the political system.
- This frustration led to the rise of Chartism (1838–1848), a working-class movement calling for reforms such as universal male suffrage, secret ballots, and equal constituencies.
- Chartism grew because of economic hardship, unemployment, and high food prices during the “Hungry Forties.”
- Chartism failed because Parliament rejected its petitions, the movement was divided between “moral force” and “physical force” Chartists, and middle-class supporters abandoned it.
- Despite failure, Chartism kept the demand for political reform alive and inspired later democratic changes.
- Prime Minister Robert Peel repealed the Corn Laws in 1846, ending tariffs on imported grain that had kept food prices high.
- The repeal happened partly because of the Irish Famine (1845–1849), when potato blight caused mass starvation, and cheaper imported grain was urgently needed.
- The famine killed over a million Irish people and forced another million to emigrate.
Common Mistake
- Writing that Chartism achieved nothing. Students often ignore its long-term importance in spreading democratic ideas.
- Treating the repeal of the Corn Laws as only an “economic” issue, forgetting its link to Ireland and the political split in the Conservative Party.
Exam technique
- When explaining protest movements, always give both causes (economic hardship, political exclusion) and consequences (government reaction, long-term impact).
- Use specific evidence i.e. petitions with millions of signatures, Irish famine death tolls, Peel’s split with his party, to move from narrative into analysis.
Self review
- Why did Chartism emerge, and why did it fail to achieve its aims by 1848?
- Assess the reasons for and consequences of Peel’s repeal of the Corn Laws.
- Examine the causes and impact of social protest in Britain and Ireland between 1815 and 1848.
