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- Title
Chartism and the Spitalfields Silk-weavers.
- Authors
Rowe, D. J.
- Abstract
The article compares the responses of handloom weavers to Chartism in Great Britain. The response of the working classes to the Chartist Movement of the 1830's and 1840's has perhaps too often been seen in the light of revolt against economic distress. It has been assumed that poorly paid and ill-fed workers, struggling under the pressure of the new industrial capitalists or, in the handwork trades, against the competition of machinery, saw in Chartism the opportunity to improve their economic condition and therefore gave it their wholehearted support. To a large extent this is undoubtedly true, since there is considerable correlation, during the relevant period, between economic distress and radical activity. Certainly individual Chartists and neo-Chartists encouraged their listeners at public meetings by suggesting that the attainment of the "People's Charter" would revolutionize the existing society and ensure that the labouring man obtained his due. But this is not the whole story, for many groups in dire economic distress ignored the movement.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; CHARTISM; WEAVERS; HANDLOOM industry; LABOR movement; ECONOMIC development
- Publication
Economic History Review, 1967, Vol 20, Issue 3, p482
- ISSN
0013-0117
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/2593067