- It was important in the long-term: 5 of the 6 Points have become law:
- Abolition of the property qualification for MPs 1858
- Universal manhood suffrage 1867, 1884, 1918, 1928
- Secret ballot 1872
- Equal electoral districts 1885 and subsequently
- Payment of MPs 1911
- At the time, it gave a much-needed and severe shock to the established order.
- It made the extent of the 'Condition of England Question' clear to the government and the middle class.
- It improved working-class morale
- It provided excitement and a sense of community and purpose.
- It showed the more intelligent leaders the necessary, contemporary methods of agitation and indicated the importance of middle-class support.
- It provided the prototype for later working-class movements by demonstrating the importance of a working-class voice: intelligent, ordered, and philosophical.
- It marked the rise of class-consciousness.
- It showed the necessity for action in response to the conditions and limitations of the social system for the worker.
- It is too easy to dismiss Chartism for its failure - but it is important to set it in its mid-19th century context.
- It enabled the working class to learn from its mistakes. They needed a self-generated leadership for success (TUs; Keir Hardie etc.)
Last modified April 1997