COLONISATION AND POLITICAL CHANGE, 1750–1900

Between 1750 and 1900, many working people began to call for more rights and a say in how Britain was governed. During the 19th century, protests and political movements gradually won more power for working people.

The anti-Catholic ‘Gordon riots’ – led by the Member of Parliament, Lord Gordon – took place in June 1780. The riots lasted several days before the government sent in the troops. Hundreds of rioters were killed or arrested. For nearly 100 years afterwards, the government was terrified of the same thing happening again and used troops to deal with any trouble or unrest.

The French Revolution and the spread of revolutionary ideas in Britain also worried the government. From 1815 onwards, protests, riots and violence spread through most cities, including London. The leaders were known as radicals because of their new ideas. They made regular speeches to London workers.

In 1820, some London radicals who believed in bloody revolution hatched a plot to murder the top people in the government. The five ringleaders, led by Arthur Thistlewood (1774–1820), included William Davidson (1786–1820), ‘a man of colour’. Black people were very active in radical politics in Britain during this time.

Government spies learned what the conspirators were up to and fed them false information. The plotters were arrested on 22 February when they met in Cato Street. All were executed for treason.

In the early 19th century, only wealthy men could vote in election. Millions of working people had no say in how the country was governed.

Following many campaigns, a Reform Act was passed in 1832, giving the vote to all men who paid taxes on property over a certain value which they owned or rented. The act also created ten new MPS for London.

A second Reform Act in 1867 gave the vote to many more men, although it still excluded poorer men and all women. By 1868, about 304, 400 men were registered to vote in London.

Chartism took its name from a ‘charter’ for political change. It was a popular working-class movement between 1839 and 1848. The charter called for six reforms, including the right to vote for all men aged over 21 and secret ballots in elections.

The Chartists organised hundreds of protests and demonstrations throughout the country. Many of them ended in violence. They also gathered petitions to present to Parliament. Two of the leading Chartists were William Lovett (1800–77) and a black man called William Cuffay (1788–1870). Opponents to Chartism often referred to ‘that Black man and his party’.

When Chartists planned a march to London for the final petition in 1848, the government feared there would be a revolution. Up to 50,000 protestors gathered on Kennington Common. The government rallied troops and 150,000 special constables to control the protestors. The march was abandoned and shortly afterwards the main Chartist leaders were arrested. Although the Chartist movement failed, all but one of their proposals has since been introduced.

Trade unions tried to improve pay and conditions for working people. In the first half of the 19th century, most trade unions in London were skilled craftsmen. In the 1850s some joined together to form more powerful unions such as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers which was set up in 1851.

The 1880s and 1890s were a turning point for trade unions. Until then, most unions had been small and served only skilled workers. There were still thousands of unskilled workers in industries like the docks who didn’t belong to a union.

A number of successful strikes won more support and more members for the unions. The socialist Annie Besant (1847–1933) encouraged female matchworkers to strike in 1888, and Ben Tillett (1860–1943) drove the dockers’ strike of 1889.

Socialists believed that factories, industries and businesses should be owned by the workers rather than by rich landowners and capitalists. Many socialists followed Karl Marx (1818–83), a refugee from Europe, who wrote a book setting out his socialist ideas called Das Kapital.

Henry Hyndman (1842–1921), one of Marx’s followers, set up London’s first socialist party, the Social Democratic Foundation (SDF), in 1883. Other socialist parties were established in London, such as the Fabian Society and the Socialist League. In the 1890s, the Independent Labour Party was established and Britain’s first socialist MP, James Keir Hardie (1856–1915) was elected in 1892.

Much of London’s wealth came from trading in slaves. Traders took men, women and children against their will from their homes in Africa and sold them to work in sugar, cotton and tobacco plantations in the West Indies.

The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, set up in 1787, campaigned against slavery. They produced pamphlets and medals to get their message across and won many supporters. Campaigners included former slaves such as the Nigerian Olaudah Equiano (1745–97) and Ottabah Cugoano (b.1757). The MP William Wilberforce (1759–1833) and many local societies were also involved.

Many people wanted to keep slavery because they made a lot of money from it. Their resistance meant that slavery was not abolished until 1833 when the Slavery Abolition Act granted all slaves their freedom.

British colonies – countries ruled by Britain – were essential to the Imperial economy. They provided raw materials for British industries and markets for British goods. Britain began to build an empire by taking over other countries during the 18th and 19th centuries. A powerful trading company called the East India Company was very influential in establishing colonies in the east. By the end of the 18th century, the company controlled most of India.

Britain wasn’t the only country trying to take over other parts of the world. Other European countries had empires and many wars were fought over control of these foreign territories. In 1776, Britain fought (and lost) the American War of Independence, losing one of its major colonies.

Britain became rich at the expense of the countries it took over. The country exploited colonial lands and people. Most of the wealth from the colonies ended up in Britain.

Between 1870 and 1914 European states rushed to get control of African countries to make money from the land and resources such as gold and diamonds. By the end of the 19th century, Europe controlled all but two African countries.

After the Second World War, many colonial states demanded political freedom. Between 1945 and the 1970s, most colonies were granted independence. Today many people from former colonial countries live in London, making it one of the most diverse and exciting cities in the world.

Hannah Gould
February 2004

In the Museum ...

Visit the World City galleries where over 3000 objects tell the story of what London was like between 1780 and 1914. Walk around a recreated Victorian arcade and experience the sights and sounds of Victorian shops. Listen to personal histories of life in London. See exhibits relating to the anti-slavery campaign. Take a computer journey through Victorian London at the end of the gallery.

On the Internet, visit the...

World City section on the Museum website. You can find out more about Victorian London and take a ‘virtual tour’ of the galleries.

British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, which deals with the history of Empire in Britain and overseas.

British Library Oriental and India Office Collections. These are the fascinating collections of the East India Company.

BBC History Empire and Sea Power pages

Channel 4: Origination. This website details information and events about Black and Asian history throughout Britain.

Museum Of London Docklands, which explores the history of London’s river, port and people, including those who worked on the docks.

People's History Museum which tells the history of working people in Britain.

Working Class Movement Library, based in Salford. This collection tells the history of working-class people.

Trades Union Congress (TUC) online history pages

Victorian London website full of information, facts and figures about all aspects of Victorian London

Borrow these books from your local library...

Adi, Hakim, The History of the African Caribbean Communities in Britain (Wayland, 1995)

The Barmy British Empire (Horrible Histories, 2002)

Behagg, Clive, Labour and Reform: Working Class Movements 1815–1914 (2000)

Equiano, Olaudah, The Interesting Narrative and other writings (Penguin)

Hidden Lives: Celebrating the Black Presence in Westminster 1500–2000 (Westminster City Archives: Education Department Resource Pack)

MacDonald, Hamish, From Workshop to Empire: Britain 1750–1900 (Key History for Key Stage 3, 1995)

Sancho, Ignatius, Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African. Sancho was a former slave who opened a shop in London. His letters to Mr Spink in June 1780 describe the events of the Gordon Riots.

Victorian India: Tea Garden of the World (Teachers Resource Pack, 1996)