Was Chartism a failure?
Different classes and poor funding – the Chartists did not all belong to the same class and this meant that many middle-class supporters withdrew their support after Chartism became linked to violence. When the middle-class members left, there was less money to fund the movement and it started to fail.
How did the government respond to Chartism?
Relations between the government and Chartism were of mutual hostility. Chartists denounced Whigs and Tories as ‘tyrannical plundering’ governments. Politicians of both parties saw Chartists as enemies of property and public order.
What did Chartism do?
Chartism was a working class movement, which emerged in 1836 and was most active between 1838 and 1848. The aim of the Chartists was to gain political rights and influence for the working classes. Chartism got its name from the People’s Charter, that listed the six main aims of the movement.
What were the consequences of Chartism?
Parliament rejected it summarily. There followed in November an armed rising of the “physical force” Chartists at Newport, which was quickly suppressed. Its principal leaders were banished to Australia, and nearly every other Chartist leader was arrested and sentenced to a short prison term.
Why is it important to learn about Chartism?
It provided the prototype for later working-class movements by demonstrating the importance of a working-class voice: intelligent, ordered, and philosophical. It marked the rise of class-consciousness. It showed the necessity for action in response to the conditions and limitations of the social system for the worker.
When did Chartism fail?
However, on all three occasions, not only was this Chartist movement rebuffed, but it also met with great government repression. Following its final unsuccessful effort in 1848, the movement experienced a slow decline and death.
How was Chartism a success?
Though Chartism failed within its own lifetime it could be argued that its most significant achievement was the template it provided for later radical extra-parliament groups to influence political reform.