icon-background-square
New
New
Year 8

How did the Chartists affect the political rights we have today?

I can describe how the Chartists campaigned and explain their impact on political rights.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 8

How did the Chartists affect the political rights we have today?

I can describe how the Chartists campaigned and explain their impact on political rights.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Chartists were a group of men and women who campaigned to improve political rights in the UK.
  2. They had six demands written down on a charter.
  3. They campaigned through different methods, such as petitions and protests.
  4. They had a mixed impact on political rights.

Keywords

  • Campaign - actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim

  • Protest - a public demonstration or action expressing disapproval or objection to a policy, decision or situation, often aimed at raising awareness or demanding change

  • Petition - a collection of signatures calling for an action or change in regard to a particular issue; this can be paper or online

Common misconception

The Chartists achieved their aims and Parliament adopted their charter.

The charter was not adopted by Parliament and the next Reform Act wasn't passed until 1867, after the Chartists had disbanded.

Ask pupils to compare the six demands of the People's Charter with today's political rights, emphasising how their petitions, protests and mixed success contributed to the political freedoms we enjoy today.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is correct?
Correct answer: Political rights are the rights people have and may use in a democracy.
Political rights are rights given by the Government for military service.
Political rights are the rights people have to control the media.
Q2.
Suffrage means ...
the right to own property.
the power to create and enforce laws.
the right to a fair trial in court.
Correct answer: the right to vote.
Q3.
Approximately what percentage of men over 21 could not vote in 1900?
Correct Answer: 40%, 40, forty, 40 %
Q4.
Place these events in chronological order.
1 - Magna Carta
2 - Great Reform Act
3 - Representation of the People Act
Q5.
Which of the following are correct about the Great Reform Act (1832)?
Correct answer: gave 20% of men the vote
Correct answer: created MPs for industrial towns
Correct answer: removed unfair seats in Parliament
gave women the right to vote
abolished the monarchy
Q6.
When did some women first gain suffrage in the UK?
Correct Answer: 1918

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:Chartists,a group of political campaigners in the 1830s and 1840s
tick

a group of political campaigners in the 1830s and 1840s

Correct Answer:campaigns,actions / events organised by people to achieve an aim
tick

actions / events organised by people to achieve an aim

Correct Answer:protest,a public demonstration or action to raise awareness or demand change
tick

a public demonstration or action to raise awareness or demand change

Correct Answer:petition,a collection of signatures calling for action or change
tick

a collection of signatures calling for action or change

Q2.
What percentage of men had the right to vote in Wales and England after the 1832 Great Reform Act?
Correct Answer: 20, 20 per cent, 20%, twenty percent, 20 percent
Q3.
How many key points were outlined in the People's Charter?
Correct Answer: 6, six
Q4.
Match the leader to the type of campaigning they believed would be the best way to achieve the Chartists' aims.
Correct Answer:William Lovett,peaceful protest and presenting petitions to Parliament (Moral Force)
tick

peaceful protest and presenting petitions to Parliament (Moral Force)

Correct Answer:Feargus O'Connor,violence was the only way to be taken seriously (Physical Force)
tick

violence was the only way to be taken seriously (Physical Force)

Q5.
How many petitions were presented to parliament by the Chartists?
Correct Answer: 3, three
Q6.
Which of the following statements were impacts of the Chartist campaign?
The Chartists' demands were immediately accepted by Parliament.
Correct answer: Reform Acts were passed in 1867 and 1884.
Correct answer: Five of the six points of the People's Charter were introduced by 1918.
The Chartists were successful in the short-term as they remained united.