Tuesday, 15 November 2011
The Peterloo Massacre
L.O. To know the events of the Peterloo Massacre
and it’s impact.
Keywords:
Massacre
Hussars
Sabres
1
TheLife
Peterloo
Massacre
A Hard
For Many
The situation in the early 19th century was not
a good one for the poor. They were treated badly
and had no real means of trying to help
themselves, as they could not vote.
When the French wars ended in 1815, things
got even worse. Many people found themselves
without a job, food prices rose and some people
faced starvation.
2
The Need for Change
In the early 19th Century
groups of poor people
who were fed up with
being treated this way
started to meet up for
protests. The meetings
gradually became larger
and larger.
3
Violent Protests
Some of the protests, such
as the Swing riots and the
Luddites, were violent. In
these protests, farmers and
workers smashed up new
machines which they hated
because it was putting them
out of work.
But a great number of the
protests were peaceful.
4
Peterloo Massacre (1819)
Peterloo was
another one of these
political protests about
the treatment of the
poor. It was held at St.
Peter’s Fields in
Manchester. However
the event went horribly
wrong.
5
A Huge Meeting
The meeting was planned for
Monday, 16th August 1819. It
was a hot summer’s day and this
encouraged more people to take
part in the protest.
It was thought that as many as
50,000 people met in the field.
There was hardly a person left in
Manchester – the streets were
deserted.
The people were unarmed.
Many had come for a day out to
hear speakers call for change.
6
The meeting goes wrong
The authorities were frightened by the
large crowd. Fearing that there would be
a riot, they ordered the crowd to
disperse. But few of the crowd could
hear the command and did not move.
The local Yeomanry was then
ordered to arrest the speakers. These
volunteer soldiers were on horseback
and were armed with swords and clubs.
Some were also said to be drunk.
When the crowd joined arms to
stop the troops from getting to the
speakers, the troops attacked.
7
The massacre
To the authorities, it looked as if the crowd were attacking
the troops. So 600 Hussars (light cavalry) armed with sabres
(curved sword) were ordered to attack the crowd.
The protesters were unarmed and fled in panic from the
attack.
Fifteen people were killed, including a young baby. Many
more were injured – between 400 and 700.
We are not sure how many because many of the injured
were too scared to say they had been at the protest in case
they lost their job.
8
The Impact of the Massacre
In the short term, it looked hopeless. The authorities and the Hussars
received a letter of congratulation from the Prince Regent for crushing the
meeting so quickly.
In the longer term, the Peterloo Massacre was a major turning point. It
convinced public opinion that things had to be changed – life had to be
made fairer for everybody.
According to Nick Mansfield, director of the People’s History Museum in
Salford, "Peterloo is a critical event not only because of the number
of people killed and injured, but because ultimately it changed
public opinion to influence the extension of the right to vote and
give us the democracy we enjoy today. It was critical to our
freedoms."
Letter from Mr W.R. Hay, a magistrate from Lancashire, to
Lord Sidmouth, 16 August 1819
1.Who is to blame for the massacre
according to this source?
2. Why do you think that?
Poster called Manchester Heroes
1.Who is to blame for the massacre
according to this source?
2. Why do you think that?
Task:
1. Write a news paper article stating the events of the Peterloo
protest. Make sure you bring across to the people the
events of what happened.
Include a picture of either the attack or the protest, a
newspaper title and article title. Include lots of detail and
colour.
2 . Answer these two questions with about 3 or 4 sentences.
a. Why do you think the Government/Army responded so
harshly to the Protestors?
b. What reaction would the general public have to the
massacre?
NAME OF PAPER
DATE:
COST:
HEADLINE HERE
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YOUR
STORY HERE
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YOUR
STORY HERE