Further Developments in Urban and Rural Protest (1832-1848)

The Anti-Poor Law Movement (1834-1837)

The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was highly controversial, especially in the industrial North and Midlands of England.
The policy of the workhouse system required the destitute to enter an institution to receive relief, which many viewed as cruel and purposely humiliating.
Anti-Poor Law Unions sprang up to resist the Act, utilising petitions, legal challenges and public meetings.
The government’s firm stance on implementing the Act led to local riots such as the ones in Oldham and Bradford in 1837.

The Chartists (1838-1848)

The Chartist Movement was arguably the most significant protest movement of the era, demanding parliamentary reform, better pay and improved living conditions.
The name “Chartist” derived from the People’s Charter of 1838, which listed six major demands, including universal manhood suffrage, vote by secret ballot, and abolition of property qualifications for Parliament members.
There were several phases to the Chartist movement, marked by mass meetings and the presentation of three national petitions to Parliament in 1839, 1842, and 1848.
The Chartist movement particularly used protest techniques like strikes and petition drives, and also published newspapers and pamphlets to propagate their cause.
The movement ended with the rejection of the third petition in 1848, despite a strong wave of strikes in its support.

Swing Riots and Luddite Activities

In the countryside, there were protests against mechanisation and poor living conditions, known as the Swing Riots in the South and East of England and the Luddite attacks in the North.
Captain Swing, a mythic figure, was used as the signature on threatening letters sent to employers, directly associating the movement with him.
Luddites smashed machinery and burned down mills as a form of retaliation against low wages and unemployment caused by industrial automation.

The Rebecca Riots (1839-1844)

The Rebecca Riots in Wales were a response to heavy taxation and tolls on rural communities, particularly affecting the farmers.
The name “Rebecca Riots” come from the biblical passage Genesis 24:60, often interpreted as advocating for the destruction of gatekeepers—an analogy for the toll booths.
The rioters, often disguised as women, targeted tollgates and other symbols of perceived economic oppression.
Although the riots did not lead to major immediate reforms, they did bring about changes in the long term, with gradual reform and improvement in the rural Welsh economy.