The Story of The Peterloo Massacre
Brief Look at Riots at St. Peter’s Field in Manchester
Aug 12, 2009
The Peterloo Massacre started has a peaceful demonstration, yet it ended up costing some of the protesters their lives. Ever since the event, it has been considered one of the most pivotal events in British history, despite garnering very little by way of a monument.
The Reasons for St. Peter’s Field Meeting
The main reason for the meeting was to pressure the government into reforming parliamentary representation. In 1819, the year of the massacre, Lancashire was represented by only two Members of Parliament.
The people of Lancashire felt that they should have a greater representation in the House of Commons. The population of Lancashire at the time was approximately one million people, yet they only had two MPs, while half of all MPs were elected by merely 154 voters.
The problem was further exacerbated by the fact that voting was restricted to adult male owners of land worth 40 shillings or more – roughly £80 when compared to today’s financial climate.
Another reason for the unrest was because of the country’s economic downturn. The Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815 and the textile factories in the north were now suffering.
The passing of the Corn Laws in 1815 provided further dissatisfaction. The law imposed a tax on the import of foreign grain, therefore many people had to buy expensive and poor quality British grain.
Authorities Act to Stop St. Peter’s Field Meeting
On 16th August 1819 an estimated 60,000-80,000 people converged on St. Peter’s Field. The expectant crowd had come to listen to one of the time’s greatest orators, Henry Hunt.
Not long after the meeting had begun local magistrates asked military authorities to disperse the crowd and arrest Hunt, as well some others.
The cavalry arrived at St. Peter’s Field and wasted little time. They charged into the crowd with their sabres drawn and were more than prepared to use their weapon. As a result, depending on the source, 11-15 people were killed, while another 400-700 was injured.
The chaos was dubbed “The Peterloo Massacre”, which was a somewhat satirical title comparing the events to those that took place at the Battle of Waterloo four years earlier.
Aftermath of The Peterloo Massacre
Immediately after the incident, much of the public were outraged by the action taken by the local authorities. Many people felt that the over reaction by the magistrates led to the murder of several innocent people.
On the political front the meeting would have devastating affects for the general public. The government instantaneously cracked down on reform and would abandon many civil liberties by the end of the year.
In order to prevent any similar meetings in the future a law was introduced banning public meetings of more than 50 people that had not been approved beforehand.
Newspapers and journalists that were perceived to have published public opinion, rather than news, were also hit with sanctions.
Sources:
The Vote: How It Was Won and How It Was Undermined by Paul Foot (ISBN: 0-670-91536-X)
Riot!: Civil Insurrection from Peterloo to the Present Day by Ian Hernon (ISBN: 0-7453-2538-6)
