Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform, c1780–1928

Section A Source 1 (source written for this paper; the author is fictional but typical of the period): from a letter by a Manchester cotton spinner to a radical newspaper, August 1819. 'We came to St Peter's Fields with our wives and children, in our Sunday clothes, carrying banners for reform. We came peacefully. The yeomanry came at us with sabres. If this is how the government answers a petition, what are honest men to do?' Assess the value of the source for revealing the causes of popular radicalism and the attitude of the authorities to protest in 1819. Explain your answer, using the source, the information given about its origin and your own knowledge about the historical context.

Section B How far did the Chartist movement achieve its aims in the years 1838–58?

Section C How far do you agree that the First World War was the key turning point in the extension of the vote in the years 1832–1928?