Early British Non-Violence and
the Chartist movement
The English Tradition, from
Godwin to Lovett and the ‘moral
force’ Chartists
Early Influences
• American Revolution, 1776
Popularised arguments for reform
• French Revolution, 1789
Aroused traditional political radicalism of the Ennglish middle class
Rights of Man, Thomas Paine
• William Godwin (1756 – 1836)
Utilitarianism
Enquiry concerning political justice, 1793
Opposed violent revolution
Redistribution of wealth
The origins of Chartism
• Chartist movement: 1838 – 48
• Political reform/social regeneration
• Social aims inconsistent
• Working class movement?
• Earlier radical movements/ 1983 Reform Act
• Era rather than movement :
Dorothy Thomson “thousands of working people
considered that their problems could be solved by
the political organisation of the country”
1832 Reform Act
• Act was designed to "take effectual Measures
for correcting divers Abuses that have long
prevailed in the Choice of Members to serve
in the Commons House of Parliament”
• Limited reforms
Widened the franchise but still excluded the working classes
• Political disappointment/anti capitalist notions
• As a result of the limited reforms a group of
London Artisans conceived a “People’s
Charter”
The People’s Charter, 1837
“to seek by every
legal means to
place all classes
of society in
possession of
their equal
political and
social rights”
The People’s Charter, 1837
1. Every male over 21 is entitled to the franchise in
his district after a residence of three months
2. Voting is by ballot
3. No property qualification for MPs
4. Parliament to be elected annually
5. There will be equal constituencies
6. payment of members enabling an honest
tradesman or working man to serve a
constituency
Marc Newman :
“Workers were increasingly conscious of their
numerical superiority and their vital
importance in producing the wealth of society,
and they saw the Charter as a stepping stone to
advancing the interests of ordinary people”
Rejection of the Charter
•
•
•
•
•
One and a quarter million signatures
Rejected by a vote of 235 to 46
Leaders arrested
Newport Rising, Nov 1939
A second petition with 3 million signatures was
rejected in 1842; the rejection of the third
petition in 1848 brought an end to the
movement.
• Failure – Why?
Divisions within the movement
• The question of how to put the Charter into
practice became central
• Belief in the power of moral force on one
hand and the advocating of physical violence
on the other
William Lovett and ‘Moral Force’
• Led the originators of the Charter, the London
Working Men’s association (1836)
• Secretary of Chartists (1839)
• National Association for Promoting the
Political and Social Improvement of the
People, 1841
• Moral force would be sufficient to win the
Charter
‘Moral Force’
• Opposed use of physical force / disliked illegal
activity
• Rely on persuasiveness and justice
• Public meetings, pamphlets and newspapers
• Alliance with middle classes
• Accused of “watering down” demands
• Focused on educational arguments
‘Physical Force’
• George Julian Harney and insurrection
• Fergus O’Connor and the Northern Star
• “Again I say, we are for peace, but we must have
justice – we must have our rights speedily:
peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must”
• Violence as Chartism disintegrated at Ashton,
Loughborough and Newcastle
• John Frost, Newport Rising, 4th November 1839
Would the Chartist movement have
been more successful if the ‘Moral
Force’ strategy had prevailed?
• How successful was the movement?
• Lack of consistency and unity
• Legacy
Yes
• Yes - a consistent, ‘Moral Force’ strategy may
have resulted in a quicker achievement of
their aims
• ‘Physical force’ destroyed credibility
Riots
Newport Rising, November 1839
• Factions
• ‘Physical force’ associated with fake signatures
No
• Socialist perspective: Marc Newman
• Failure of moral rectitude and rational
argument to win concessions from ruling class
• Use of revolutionary force essential
Points of discussion
Why did the Chartist movement fail?
Would violent or non-violent methods have
been more likely to succeed?