1834
Poor Law Amendment Act is passed
1835
17 Sept
Feargus O’Connor founds the Marylebone Radical Association
1836
16 June
Foundation of the London Working Men’s Association. William Lovett is appointed its Secretary
1837
Poor Law Commissioners begin implementation of the New Poor Law in the north.
General Election – Whig Government led by Viscount Melbourne
24 Jan
Draft petition by the LWMA includes the Six Points
28 Feb
First public meeting of LWMA at the Crown and Anchor in the Strand
23 May
Thomas Attwood re-establishes Birmingham Political Union
31 May
Meeting at British Coffee House in Charing Cross. Committee of six LWMA members and six Radical MPs established
18 Nov
Publication of the Northern Star in Leeds.
1838
April
Great Northern Union formed in Leeds
8 May
Publication of The People’s Charter
14 May
BPU adopts the National Petition
21 May
Mass meeting at Glasgow Green, The People’s Charter and National Petition are accepted
6 Aug
Mass meeting at Holloway Head in Birmingham. Beginning of Chartism
Autumn
Mass meetings across the country to collect signatures for the National Petition and elect delegates to the National Convention
27 Dec
Reverend Joseph Rayner Stephens arrested
1839
4 Feb
National Convention meets in London. William Lovett elected Secretary.
7 May
Bedchamber Crisis
13 May
Convention moves to Birmingham
14 June
Thomas Attwood and John Fielden present the Petition to Parliament. It has 1,280,000 signatures.
July
Bull Ring Riots in Birmingham
5 July
Resolutions denouncing the police are passed by the Convention
6 July
William Lovett and John Collins are arrested for seditious libel
12 July
House of Commons rejects the first Petition by 235 votes to 46
Aug
Sacred Month is called off
7 Aug
William Lovett and John Collins are sentenced to 12 months in Warwick Gaol
Sept
Chartist Convention dissolved
4 Nov
Newport Rising
1840
Jan
Attempted uprisings in Sheffield and Bradford
16 Jan
John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones are sentenced to death for their part in the Newport Rising. This is later commuted to transportation for life.
Feb-March
Chartist trials
11 May
Feargus O’Connor sentenced to 18 months in York Castle for seditious libel
20 July
National Charter Association founded in Manchester
25 July
William Lovett and John Collins released from prison
1841
General Election – Conservative Government led by Robert Peel
April
National Association founded. William Lovett’s ‘New Move’
30 Aug
Feargus O’Connor released from prison.
Sept
The NCA begins the campaign for the second Petition
1842
Mines Act passed
Jan
Complete Suffrage Union founded in Birmingham by Joseph Sturge
5 April
CSU conference in Birmingham
12 April
National Convention meets in London
21 April
CSU petition rejected by the House of Commons 226 votes to 67
2 May
Second Chartist Petition with 3 317 752 signatures presented to the House of Commons by Thomas Duncombe. It is rejected by 287 votes to 49
August
Plug Plot develops into a general strike
12 Aug
Manchester Trades Conference resolves to remain on strike until Charter becomes law
20 Aug
Manchester trade societies call for a return to work
October
Chartist trials
27 Dec
Joint conference of CSU and Chartists in Birmingham
1843
March
Feargus O’Connor tried along with 58 others at Lancaster.
September
NCA Convention in Birmingham, O’Connor’s Land Plan discussed
1844
Factory Act passed
April
NCA Convention in Manchester
1845
April
NCA Convention in London
Dec
NCA agrees to O’Connor’s Land Plan at the Manchester conference
1846
26 June
Corn Laws are repealed
1847
General Election – Whig Government led by Lord John Russell
Abolition of Poor Law Commission
‘Ten Hour’ Factory Act passed
1 May
O’Connorville, the first of the Chartist communities, opened near Watford
July
Feargus O’Connor elected MP for Nottingham
1848
Public Health Act passed
Feb
Revolution in France
4 April
Convention meets in London
10 April
Chartist mass meeting on Kennington Common. Feargus O’Connor persuades the crowd to disperse peacefully. The third Petition is delivered to Parliament.
13 April
Select Committee discovers several fictitious names on the Petition and gives a total of 1,975,496 signatures, far fewer than the figure of 5.7 million given by O’Connor. The Petition is derided and rejected by the House of Commons.
1 May
National Assembly meets, replaces the Convention
May – June
Riots in Bradford and London
6 June
Arrest of Ernest Jones in Manchester, charged with seditious behaviour and unlawful assembly
12 June
Day of protest
July
Irish uprising fails after arrest of leaders
15 Aug
Planned uprising in Britain. Rising in London called off after all main conspirators are identified by Government spies and arrested.
1850
10 July
Ernest Jones released from Prison
1851
31 March
NCA Convention accepts social democratic policy
August
The Land Company is wound up by an Act of Parliament
1852
General Election – Conservative Government led by Lord Derby
13 March
Last issue of the Northern Star
June
Feargus O’Connor is declared to be of unsound mind and committed to a private mental asylum in Chiswick
1855
30 Aug
Death of Feargus O’Connor. Around 50,000 people turn out for his funeral on the 10 September
1856
12 July
John Frost returns to Britain after receiving a free pardon in May 1856
1857
General Election – Whig Government led by Lord Palmerston
1858
February
Chartist conference adopts a motion by Ernest Jones to co-operate with moderate Radicals for limited reform
End of Chartism
