From Luddites to Chartists

The British working class did not care about revolutions. Sometimes they took part in protests, but only when they were hungry or unemployed. The things that concerned them were jobs, wages, and the price of bread.

The 'Luddites' who smashed knitting and spinning machines in 1811 did not want to cut the king's head off. They were afraid of losing their jobs - they said that the machines put them out of work. The crowds who listened to Henry Hunt between 1816 and 1819 cheered when he said that all men should have votes. But what they really cared about were unemployment and high taxes. When trade improved after 1820, the troubles ceased.

The leaders of the Chartists were angry that the 1832 Reform Act did not go far enough. Their 'People's Charter', which they drew up in 1838, asked for votes for all men (but not women), a secret ballot, and elections every year. Between 1838 and 1848, the Chartists got massive support from the working people. Thousands took part in their meetings and strikes. Millions signed their petitions to Parliament.

But it was jobs, wages, and prices that were the main worries of the working class. There were trade slumps in the 1830s and 1840s, and workers knew that if you lost your job there was nowhere to go but the dreaded workhouse. This was what made them follow the Chartists.

Britain's rulers did not give in to Luddites, radicals, and Chartists. They said that machine-breakers would be hanged. They cut down the freedom of the press. They banned meetings, and sent troops to break them up. These tactics worked - mill-hands could not take on the army. The last Chartist protest, in 1848, was a dismal flop.

Walter Robson: Britain 1750 – 1900; Oxford University Press, 1993/2002, page 64 f.