Unrest and Reaction in Britain in 1789-1819

• Social and political uncertainty affected the country at every level during the period.
• King George suffered an intermittent period of mental illness, and after 1811 was permanently incapacitated so his son became Prince Regent.
• The instability of the King had its effect on the government as his behaviour was unpredictable.
• During his reign, the American Revolution of 1774 took place, and the demands of the colonists drew more attention to the shortcomings of the English government.
• The French Revolution and the following civil conflict caused alarm in the British government.
• The population of France was a key part of the overthrowing.
• Due to the violating nature of the London crowd and the working classes beginning political organisations, the government acted to repress this political dissent.
• In 1798, the control over newspapers was extended.
• In 1799 and 1800, the Combination Act limited the power of industrial workers to make demands on their employers.
• High food prices due to the French wars led to food riots and other social unrest in 1800.
• There was heightened anxiety about the possibility of major political conflict which led to repressive measures being taken at any sign of unrest.
• Government feelings about France were worsened due to the French wars which lasted over 20 years.
• France first declared war on Britain in 1793 and although there was a pause in conflict, fighting resumed in 1803 until 1815.
• There were prominent fears of a French invasion and French troops landed in Ireland in 1798.
• Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in 1799 and led his country in many wars extending to the Middle East.
• Napoleon planned an invasion of England in 1804-5 when he was defeated in 1805 and thus abdicated in 1814 after a disastrous Russian campaign.
• William Wilberforce was a Tory MP for 40 years and committed evangelical Christian.
• William Wilberforce founded a society to abolish the slave trade in 1787.
• In the next twenty years, William Wilberforce made several attempts to introduce a law banning trade in the British empire and was finally successful in 1807.
• William Wilberforce devoted his time after abolishing slavery to campaigning for the abolition of hand workers in trades who felt threatened by new machinery.
• Percy Shelley and Lord Byron were sympathetic to Luddites and Byron made a speech on their behalf in House of Lords in 1812.
• In 1819, a crowd gathered to peacefully listen to a speech by Henry Hunt about political reform, in Manchester.
• The local military seized banners that some held in the crown.
• Cavalry were ordered to charge.
• Eleven people were killed, and four hundred were injured in the Peterloo incident.
• The Peterloo incident led to the passage of the Six Acts which placed further restrictions on the press and the right to assembly.
• The Poor Relief Act of 1819 appeared to acknowledge the existence of the problem and alleviate some suffering.
• The response to the protest is fear and repression, deriving in part from France.
• The increasing industrialisation and urbanisation of England led to emerging new political allegiances.