Chartist facts for kids
The Chartists were a group of people in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century. They wanted to make the country fairer for working class people. They got their name from something called the People's Charter of 1838, which listed their main goals.
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What was Chartism?
Chartism was a big movement where working-class people fought for political changes in Britain. It was named after the People's Charter of 1838. This movement was popular in many parts of the UK. These included Northern England, the East Midlands, the Staffordshire Potteries, the Black Country, and the South Wales Valleys. The government at the time did not like the movement and tried to stop it.
Millions of working people joined in large protests. They also signed many petitions. These petitions were sent to the House of Commons. The Chartists mainly wanted all men to have the right to vote. Most Chartists tried to achieve their goals using peaceful methods. However, some protests led to clashes.
What did the Chartists want?
The Chartists believed that the political system was unfair. They wanted more democracy in a country that was becoming industrial. They also gained support from people who were worried about low wages and not having jobs.
The People's Charter asked for six important changes to make the political system more democratic:
The Six Points of the Charter
- A vote for every man: They wanted all men aged 21 or older to be able to vote. This was for men who were of sound mind and not in prison.
- Secret ballot: They wanted people to vote in secret. This would protect voters from being pressured or scared when they cast their vote.
- No property qualification for MPs: They wanted anyone to be able to become a Member of Parliament (MP). Before, only people who owned a certain amount of property could be MPs. This change would allow ordinary people to represent their communities.
- Payment for MPs: They believed MPs should be paid for their work. This would mean that working people or those with less money could afford to be MPs. They would not have to give up their jobs to serve the country.
- Equal constituencies: They wanted each voting area (constituency) to have roughly the same number of voters. This would make sure everyone's vote counted equally. Some smaller areas used to have more power than larger ones.
- Annual Parliamentary elections: They wanted elections to happen every year. They thought this would stop bribery and unfair influence. It would be harder to buy votes if elections happened so often.
What happened to the Chartist movement?
The Chartist movement eventually faded away. However, over time, Britain did adopt five of the six reforms they asked for. The only one not adopted was annual parliamentary elections. The Chartists helped to show the need for a fairer political system in the UK.
