Origins of Chartism

 

Chartism was a British working-class movement for a parliamentary reform, which originated from the People’s Charter, a bill drafted by William Lovett in May, 1838.The birth of this movement occurred during the economic depression from 1837-1838 when the negative effects of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was experienced in Britain, designed to make lives more unpleasant. The emerging urbanised working middle class started pushing for reforms, driven by harsh economic conditions. As a result of poor standards of living and an increasing gap between the upper class, political equality was a means to even the playing field. William Lovett along with publisher Henry Hetherington, and printers John Cleave and James Watson created the London Working Men’s Association whose aims were “to seek by every legal means to place all classes of society in possession of their equal, political, and social rights.”

 

After the Great Reform Act of 1832, the working class realised a lack of equality among them. The working class believed that parliamentary reform would enable them to have a say. Parliament had no intention to change voting rights to include the middle class, as hardly any of the middle class were added to the electoral roll. Five out of six men did not have the right to vote, and women weren’t even considered at that time. During that time, The House of Commons did not consist of the working class, instead they consisted of the rich upper class who gained off profits and charging high interest on loans.