Chartism in Scotland

Overview

Placing the Chartist movement within a particular context, this study delves into the intellectual debates on British relations, the place of religion in the state, relationships between social classes, and the nature of politics from the 1830s to 1850s. The process of industrialization is reviewed, revealing how it increased in speed and created huge changes for working people across the country. The Chartist press and local newspapers are utilized, shedding new light on the activities of Chartists from the north to the south. Comparing its subject to the movement in England, this comprehensive reexamination challenges the long-held view that Chartism in Scotland was markedly moderate in its demands and approaches.

Reviews

"It is hard to see how it might be bettered in the years to come. . . . This is a book that deserves to be read – and argued over – widely." —www.ScottishLabourHistory.org.uk

Author Biography

W. Hamish Fraser is a former professor of modern history and the dean of the faculty of arts and social studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He is the author of Britain Since 1707 and British Trade Unions, 1707–1918.