Chartism

Chartism is an essential introduction to this mass movement for democracy in early industrial Britain. John Walton provides a concise period background and discusses the Chartists' economic, legislative and political goals, patterns of regional and local support, reasons for the Chartist decline, the success of Chartism in the light of its goals and its influence over the Poor Law, Corn laws, trade unions and factory reform, and the languages of Chartism - songs, gesture and propaganda. He also examines and evaluates the controversial debates around the topic.