CHARTISM, a working-class movement in England, 1838-48, theprimary purpose of which was the attainment of certain political reforms. The Reform Bill of 1832 had failed to bring the expected advantages to the working class; the new poor law of 1835 was unpopular; and a, period of general commercial depression and a succession of bad harvests had increased the sufferings of the people. The discontent result ing found definite expression in the "Charter' or "People's Charter* prepared in 1838 by a committee of six members of Parliament and six. workingmen. It comprised six heads: (1) Universal suffrage, or a right of voting conferred on every male of 21 years of age, of sound mind, unconvicted of crime, and a native of the United Kingdom, as well as to every for eigner possessing the same qualifications, who had been resident in the Umted Kingdom for more than two years; (2) equal electoral dis tricts; (3) vote by ballot., (4) annual Parlia ments; (5} no other qualification to be neces sary for members of Parliament than the choice of the electors; (6) members of Parliament to be paid for their services. (Of the above six demands, Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are now embodied by statute).
At first a portion of the middle class sup ported the movement, but they became estranged, and, the Chartists became more and more a distinctively working-class party. The movement was not purely political; it was of a distinctively social nature — a Mcnife-and fork questions—and aimed at the improvement of general social conditions. Stephens, one of the leaders, is quoted as sayin *Chartism is no political movement where the e main point is gaining the ballot. . . . The Charter means a good house, good food, prosperity, and shorter working hours.* Immense meetings were held throughout the country, numbering sometimes upward of 200,000, and popular ex citement was great. Physical force was ad
vocated by some as the only effectual means fOr the masses to obtain their demands. An asso ciation called the National Convention was em bodied, and commenced its sittings in Birming ham in May 1839. In June of the same year a monster petition in favor of the charter, pur porting to be signed by 1,280,000 persons, was presented to the House of Commons, which refused to take it into consideration. The feel ing of exasperation among the Chartists in creased, and in November a riot took place at Newport, in which 10 persons were killed and great numbers wounded. The year 1842 was the time of the most excitement; great riots took place in the northern and midland districts of England, and these, though not directly caused by the Chartists, were more or less con nected with the movement, and the party was blamed for them. In 1848 a great demonstra tion was planned in London, but the precautions taken by the government in enrolling special constables and making other preparations for defense frightened the leaders and the demon-4 stration was shorn of its imposing nature. From that year dates the decline of the move ment; the repeal of the Corn Laws—which the Chartists opposed as likely to benefit only the middle'classes — and the great expansion of trade following on that measure reacted favor ably on the condition of the workers and stilled social tumult.
McCarthy, 'History of Our Own Times' ; Carbrle, 'Chartism' ; Gammage, of the Chartist Movement); Engels, `Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844' ; Hyndman, 'Historical Basis of Social ism in England' ; Kingsley's 'Alton Locke' ; and the autobiography of Thomas Cooper, one of the leaders (London 1880).