THE CHARTIST movement was the
first mass movement driven by the working class. It grew following the failure
of the 1832 Reform Act to extend the vote beyond those owning property. In 1838
a People's Charter was drawn up for the London Working Men's Association
(LWMA). The Charter had six demands: universal male suffrage, elections by
secret ballot, abolition of property qualifications for MPs, payment of MPs,
equal electoral constituencies and annual parliaments.
Millions
signed Chartist petitions which were repeatedly rejected by Parliament.
Chartist leaders were arrested, jailed or transported to Australia
and the movement eventually was wound down in 1858. But the demand for reform
continued and by 1918 every one of the Chartist demands apart from annual
parliaments had been achieved.
Past Pixels
was set up in 2009 to make images of working class struggle more widely
available to a newer generation and over the years it has carved a niche for
itself with a series of greeting cards dedicated to the working class movement
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| William Cuffay |
Dorothy
Thompson, the immensely influential Chartist historian, helped Past Pixels
select the images for reproduction. She identified Feargus O’Connor, William
Cuffay, James “Bronterre” O’Brien and John Frost as her favourite five
Chartists. Sadly she died in early 2011 and this set is published in her
memory.
There’s a
short commentary about the image of the back of each card and Past Pixel cards
can be ordered online at http://www.pastpixels.co.uk
or from an increasing number of retail outlets. Further information about all
the cards can also be obtained by writing directly to: Past Pixels, PO
Box 798, Worcester, WR4 4BW
photo: William Cuffay after William Paul Dowling,Lithograph, 1848 NPG D13148 copyright National Portrait Gallery.
photo: William Cuffay after William Paul Dowling,Lithograph, 1848 NPG D13148 copyright National Portrait Gallery.
