Chartisme: baggrund, mål og indflydelse på demokrati

SRP ChartismeAbstractIn the beginning of the 19th century the working class in Great Britain had no influence on politics, because the country was run by the landed gentry. A radical working-class movement known as Chartism wanted to change that. In this project I have looked at the movement’s background, to figure out why it began. I have concluded that the movement was a result of a growing dissatisfaction with the government, caused by unfair actions and laws from the government.After looking at the background of the movement, I have analysed relevant contemporary sources to examine the movement’s goals and means of achieving those goals. The first source is “The People’s Charter” which shows that the movement’s goals were: Universal suffrage, Abolition of property qualifications for members of parliament, Annual parliamentary elections, Equal representation, Payment of members of Parliament, Vote by secret ballot. The second source is a poster advertising a demonstration. From the analysation of the poster I have concluded that the means of achieving the movement’s goals were to use demonstrations, meetings, poetry and a radical press to gather a large amount of public support, which could threaten the status quo.To examine why and how the chartists used poetry as a means of communication, I have analysed and interpreted “The Poet’s Mission” by Ernest Jones. I have found that the reason the chartists used poetry is poems ability to immortalise a message. The last thing I have analysed and interpreted is the first eight stanzas of: “The Purgatory of Suicides” by Thomas Cooper. From the analysation I have concluded that the chartists used poetry as an alternative way of sending information. Lastly I have assessed the Chartist Movement’s influence on the development of democracy in Great Britain. From the Assessment I have concluded that the movement has had a valuable indirect influence on the development of democracy in Great Britain.