Chartism

Chartism, political reform movement in Britain from 1838 to 1848. The word is derived from the People's Charter, the name applied to a legislative program submitted to Parliament in 1837 by the London Working Men's Association. The Chartist movement, which the association sponsored, resulted from widespread dissatisfaction with the Reform Bill of 1832 and the Poor Law of 1834, legislation that workingmen considered discriminatory.

The People's Charter contained six specific demands, including suffrage for all male citizens 21 years of age and over, elections by secret ballot, and annual parliamentary elections. When these demands were rejected by the House of Commons, the association launched a nationwide campaign for its program, and about 1,250,000 persons signed a petition to Parliament requesting that the charter be enacted into law.

When Parliament again rejected the charter, the Chartists planned direct action in the form of a general strike. The strike failed, but an insurrection broke out in Monmouthshire in November 1839, and many Chartist leaders were arrested and imprisoned. Chartism was in a period of decline until 1848, when another petition was sent to Parliament. Despite a large public demonstration, the charter was again rejected because of insufficient and fictitious signatures. The Chartist movement gradually disintegrated thereafter, but all of its program, except the demand for annual parliamentary elections, eventually became law.