Episode 3 - The Chartists

A People's History with John McDonnell

The Chartist movement of the 1830s and 1840s was the first mass movement driven by Britain’s working classes. But how and why did the movement arise? What was society really like for working people at the time? And what were the lasting impacts and implications of the Chartists’ struggle?

Explore this fascinating area of our history with John McDonnell and three expert historians: Emma Griffin, Katrina Navickas and Rob Sewell.

• Emma Griffin is a Professor of Modern British History at the UEA. She is the author of several books, editor of the Historical Journal, President of the Royal Historical Society and a frequent contributor to radio and television.
• Dr Katrina Navickas is a researcher and teacher of the history of protest and collective action at the University of Hertfordshire, and author of works including “Protest and the Politics of Space and Place, 1789-1947”.
• Rob Sewell is the author of “Chartist Revolution”, a Marxist analysis of the Chartist movement in 19th century Britain.