This in-depth study of Chartism will begin with its roots in the Radical London of the 1830s and the Owenite movements of the North and Midlands. We will consider its tactics of petition and mass meeting. We will debate the nature and impact of the Physical/Moral Force divide and how real it was. We will look at major events such as the Newport Rising, the Plug Plot, the Land Scheme and the 1848 agitation. Throughout we will consider major personalities such as William Lovett and Feargus O'Connor, William Cuffay and Ernest Jones and many more. We will study the involvement and contribution of women and we will discuss the culture, ideology and legacy of the movement.
Course aim
We will explore the Chartist movement from its complex origins in the 1830s through its major events, personalities, factions and defeats. We will look at its culture, tactics, ideology and also consider its legacy.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners
- This course is for improvers
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- display knowledge and understanding of this strand of British history
- interrogate a range of historical sources to reach supported judgements
- identify links between cause and consequence, change and continuity and parallels with our own times
- come to a reasoned judgement on the nature and importance of the movement
What else do I need to know?
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