There were many issues in the 19th century that caused chaos, people weren’t happy with they way that England was being ruled during that period in time. As a result of this riots and protests broke out all over England. The people were protesting about the political and economical issues that they found in the way parliament ruled England.
16th August 1819. The Peterloo Massacre. Peterloo gained its name by combining the place the battle happen, St Peters Field, and the previous battle’s name ‘Waterloo’. Peter-loo. Originally people had gathered at St Peter’s Field to listen to a well known speaker Henry Hunt to share his ideas on reforms such as giving all the men a right to vote and ending bribery and fraud at elections. At the massacre the soldier that came in killed 11 people and wounded over 500. As consequences from this the government passed 6 laws in December 1819. 1. Ban meetings of more than 50 people 2. Ban marching and weapon practice 3. Punish insults to the Church and government 4. Increase a tax on newspapers 5. Allow magistrates to search homes for weapons and documents without permission 6. Make it faster to take people to court and punish them. The Luddites. The Luddites were machine-breakers, so called after a mythical leader, General Ludd. In 1811-16 textile workers in the east midlands, south Lancashire, and west Yorkshire met secretly in public houses or on the moors, took oaths. They smashed the machinery of mill-owners who refused what they demanded. When trade unions were illegal, Luddism may be recognised as bargaining by riot: frame-breaking in the east midlands was an attempt to bully factory employees. Eventually the Luddite bands were tracked down and the presumed leaders were executed or transported. 1811-1812. Captain Swing and Ned Ludd. Before the invention of factory machines,