Spa Fields riots facts for kids
The Spa Fields riots were a series of public disturbances that happened in Islington, England, in 1816. These events grew out of two large public meetings held at a place called Spa Fields on November 15 and December 2.
These meetings were organized by a small group of people known as Spenceans, who wanted big changes in society. They invited a popular speaker named Henry Hunt to talk to the crowds. The Spenceans hoped that these meetings would lead to riots. Their plan was to take control of the government by seizing important places like the Tower of London and the Bank of England.
The first meeting on November 15 ended peacefully. The people at the meeting chose Henry Hunt to deliver a special request, called a petition, to the Prince Regent. This petition asked for changes to how elections worked and for help with the hard times people were facing.
However, at the second meeting on December 2, some of the Spenceans started talking to the crowd before Hunt arrived. They led a group of people away from the meeting. These rioters attacked a gun shop and even exchanged gunfire with soldiers near the Royal Exchange. Other small fights happened in places like Snow Hill and Minories. But when soldiers at the Tower of London refused to give up control, the rioters eventually scattered and went home.
After the riots, four main Spencean leaders – John Hooper, Thomas Preston, Arthur Thistlewood, and James Watson – were arrested. They were accused of a very serious crime against the government. James Watson was tried first. The main person giving evidence against him was a government spy named John Castle, who had joined the Spencean group. However, Watson's lawyers showed that Castle's evidence wasn't reliable, and Watson was found not guilty. Because of this, the government didn't have enough evidence against the other three, and they were all set free.
Why People Were Upset
The year 1815 marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. This brought a lot of economic problems to Britain. Many people lost their jobs, and there was widespread hardship. Leaders in London tried to help by asking Parliament to fix these problems, but nothing changed.
The Spenceans believed that stronger actions were needed. They organized the first big public meeting at Spa Fields for November 15, 1816. Their goal was to march to the Prince Regent's home to present their demands. These demands included that all men should be allowed to vote, that Parliament should meet every year, that voting should be secret, and that land should be shared more fairly.
They invited several important speakers, but only Henry Hunt agreed to come. Before the meeting, Hunt convinced the organizers not to march to the Prince Regent's house. He also persuaded them to make their demands less extreme by removing the idea of sharing land. Hunt was a very popular speaker, and about 10,000 people came to the meeting. He made sure everything went according to plan, and the meeting ended peacefully. Hunt and Sir Francis Burdett were chosen to deliver the petition.
Hunt suggested that the meeting should meet again when Parliament was next in session. However, James Watson's son, also named James Watson, convinced the crowd to agree to an earlier date: December 2. Young Watson, Thistlewood, and some other Spenceans had only reluctantly agreed to Hunt's peaceful plans for the first meeting. They really wanted the second meeting to end in riots.
The Riots Begin
Henry Hunt tried twice to give the petition to the Prince Regent, but he was not allowed to see him. Meanwhile, the Spenceans promoted the second meeting with many exciting flyers. One of these flyers quoted Lord Nelson from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805:
ENGLAND
Expects every Man to do his Duty
___________________________
The Meeting in Spa Fields
Takes Place at 12 o'clock
On Monday, December 2nd. 1816
To receive the answer of the PETITION to the PRINCE REGENT,
determined upon at the last meeting held in the same place,
and for other important Considerations
THE PRESENT STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN
Four Millions in Distress !!!
Four Millions Embarrassed !!!
One Million-and-half fear Distress !!!
Half-a-million live in splendid Luxury !!!
Death would now be a relief to Millions –
Arrogance, Folly, and Crimes – have brought affairs to this dread Crisis.
Firmness and Integrity
can only save the Country!!!
On December 2, another large crowd gathered at Spa Fields to hear Hunt speak. But before he arrived, both James Watson and his son spoke to the crowd. Young Watson grabbed a tricolour flag, which was a symbol of the French Revolution, and led a group of people towards the Tower of London. Most of the crowd stayed behind to listen to Hunt, and their meeting ended without any trouble.
The group that left with young Watson robbed a gun shop in Snow Hill. Shots were fired, the gunsmith was hurt, and a person walking by was killed. At the Royal Exchange, soldiers closed the gates and exchanged shots with the rioters. More small fights happened at Fleet Market, Snow Hill, and the Minories. The rioters controlled the Minories area for several hours. From there, Thistlewood led an armed group to the Tower of London. He climbed a wall and asked the soldiers inside to give up. They refused. This was the most serious public disturbance in London since the Gordon Riots of 1780, and it slowly died down.
Arrests and Court Cases
James Watson was arrested on the evening of December 2, but his son and Thistlewood managed to get away. Young Watson escaped to the United States. Thistlewood was caught when he tried to escape on a boat at Gravesend. John Hooper and John Cashman, a sailor, had been arrested during the fight at the Royal Exchange. Cashman was found guilty of stealing firearms and was executed on March 12, 1817. Hooper was found not guilty, but he was later arrested again. He was accused of a serious crime against the government, along with Watson senior, Thistlewood, and Preston. Young Watson's name was also included in the charges.
Watson's trial happened first and lasted over a week. The main witness against him was Castle, the spy who had been part of the organizing committee for both meetings. Henry Hunt spoke as a witness for the defense. He said that Castle had tried to trick him into doing things that were against the government more than once. Watson's lawyers showed that Castle had a history of tricking people into committing crimes. They presented him to the jury as someone who tried to cause trouble, even if they didn't call him a spy directly. The jury believed the defense's side, and Watson was found not guilty. No more evidence was presented against the other people accused, and they were also set free.
What Happened Next
The Spa Fields riots marked the beginning of a time when many anti-government meetings, marches, and riots took place. These included the march of the Blanketeers in March 1817, the Pentrich rising in June 1817, and the Peterloo Massacre in August 1819. This period of unrest finally ended after the failure of the Cato Street Conspiracy in February 1820.
