2. Peterloo, 1819
• Working class people held large meetings to
protest against the political system. One such
meeting happened in Manchester at St
Peter’s Fields in August 1819.
3. Background information
• Since 1815 bread prices had been high, unemployment had risen and soldiers back from the French wars had been
unable to find work. People believed if they could vote in elections the government would have to listen to their
complaints.
• In 1819 a series of mass meetings were held with rousing speeches by Henry Hunt.
• 16th August 1819 a mass protest was organised to demand the right to vote for ordinary working men.
• 60,000 people met at St Peter’s Field, Manchester.
• Local magistrates had organised special constables and local soldiers to keep order at the meeting.
• It is believed the magistrates panicked ordering their men to attack resulting in 11 people being killed and 400
wounded.
• The event caused great anger across the country however the government supported the magistrates actions.
• The government was scared about revolution (like in France) and did not want to put people off taking on the job of a
magistrate.
• 12,000 additional troops were sent to the area and the leaders were put on trial and then imprisoned.
• The government introduced the ‘Six Acts’ – magistrates could search houses for weapons, military training and drilling
was banned, a new tax made newspapers more expensive, magistrates could seize and destroy newspapers, trials
were sped up and public meetings of over 50 people were banned.
4. The protest
• Engraving by H.M.Paget of the yeomanry charging at the
crowd.
• Around 50,000 people arrived at St Peter’s Fields from all
around Manchester. Henry Hunt (a radical speaker) was due
to make a speech calling for the reform of Parliament.
• Manchester at this time had no police force, so the army were
sent to prevent any disturbances. When Hunt began to speak
the army attempted to arrest him, and attacked anybody who
got in their way.
• 11 people were killed and 400 were injured.
5. The consequences
• The government congratulated the army and those
involved in keeping order in Manchester.
• Henry Hunt was sentenced to over two years in prison.
• The government banned meetings of more than 50 people
at any one time.
• Tax on newspapers was increased so that working-class
people could not afford to read them and they would be
less likely to publish negative things about the government.
6. Government’s reaction
• Government now passed the 6 Acts
• Press was now under control & free speech lost
• Magistrates had power to search houses
• Public meetings with over 50 people banned
• Trials were speeded up
• Military training & drilling banned
7. Below is a picture of what happened when 60,000 people gathered in St
Peter’s Fields in Manchester in August 1819. The crowd were campaigning to
have an MP because they needed somebody to speak up for them in
Parliament because many of them were losing their jobs due to a slump in
trade.
8. Below is a picture of what happened when 60,000 people gathered in St
Peter’s Fields in Manchester in August 1819. The crowd were campaigning to
have an MP because they needed somebody to speak up for them in
Parliament because many of them were losing their jobs due to a slump in
trade.
The
magistrate
ordering
the arrest
of Henry
Hunt
Members of the 15th Hussars cavalry
Henry Hunt
speaking in
favour of
reform
Protestors
in favour of
reform who
had come
to hear
Henry Hunt
10. Task
• Read pages 76-77 from the OCR textbook.
• Using your knowledge, Sources A and B and the book
to help you, write a report answering the following
questions:
– What will the focus of your enquiry be?
– Who do you think is to blame for the events?
– Summarise the Six Acts
• Make sure you back your points up with historical evidence.
