"Chartism was mainly an economic movement" Do you agree?

20/01/2002 Prasshy.S

“Chartism was mainly an economic movement”

Do you agree?

Chartists were a group who demanded reform of the voting system between 1837 and 1848. They were called Chartists after their six-point charter, or list of demands. The Chartists wanted equal voting right for everyone. The 1832 Reform Act was a disappointment to the working classes. They had taken part in demonstrations for reform, but they did not benefit from the Reform Act. In 1836 London artisans formed the London Working Men’s Association, which was led by William Lovett. They drew up a petition, or Charter, including six demands. The demands were:

A vote for every man twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for crime.
The Ballot, - To protect the elector in the exercise of his vote.
No property qualification for Members of Parliament – this enabling the constituencies to return the man of their choice, be he rich or poor.
Payment of Members, thus enabling an honest tradesman, working man, or other person to serve constituency, when taken from his business to attend to the interest of the country.
Equal Constituencies, securing the same amount of representation for the same number of electors, instead of allowing small constituencies to swamp the vote of large ones.
Annual Parliament, thus presenting the most effectual check to bribery and intimidation, since though a constituency might be bought once in seven years (even with the ballot), no purse could buy a constituency (under a system of universal suffrage) in each ensuing twelvemonth; and since members, when elected for a year only, would not be able to defy and betray their constituents as now.

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There are many reasons, which prove to us that that Chartism was mainly a political movement. Demands for change and Secret Ballot contributed to this fact. The fact that they wanted Annual Parliament is clearly a political point. They wanted annual Parliament so that they can what is really going on in the country and if any of the MPs are doing fraud work. They also wanted greater representation for all people. This is also a political movement because if they were given representation for all people, even the working class could become MPs and try and change the conditions of the working class. The Chartists also wanted voting for all men over twenty-one. This shows that the working class also wanted to contribute their views to Parliament so that some change could be made to their lives. The fact that different groups supported Chartism is a very important political movement. Although the Charter would help the working class the most, some people from the other classes also support it and signed petitions. These are some of the reasons why it was a political movement.

Chartism was also a social movement. Chartists were literally a group of people coming together to look for an improved way of life. Some people thought that Chartists were radical but they just wanted a good life like most of the other classes. This fact contributed to the social movement. They wanted ordinary people to be MPs so that they can put their views across which in turn will lead to a good life. If you look at the points of the charter, most of them in some way or the other lead to having good working conditions, shorter days etc. The no property qualification is linked to the fact that the wanted ordinary people to be MPs. Ordinary people can only be MPs if no property qualifications are needed. This again links to the social movement.

I do not think Chartism was mainly an economic movement. Not many factors contribute to this. The only factor that contributes to it the Payment of MPs. But if we look more deeply into it, it is also linked to the social movement in one way or another.

Overall I think the most important reason is the social movement. If we look at all the points of the charter, they lead one way or another to the social movement. The working class people wanted a fair life more than politics or money. They wanted a stable life, which will feed, cloth and shelter the family. I do not think Chartism was mainly an economic movement but that it was mainly a social movement.