3.4 Why Did So Many Protest?

The Industrial Revolution was a period of unprecedented change for Britain and, by the 19th century, this had sparked a wave of social unrest. Why were so many people willing to risk protesting, especially at a time when the state was less lenient on rule breakers?

This lesson contains:

• A chronology of the biggest protests and political reforms that occurred in the later Industrial Revolution, including the Peterloo Massacre and the Reform Acts.
• An analysis of the most influential reasons and factors that motivated people to risk everything by protesting to bring about change.
• An introduction to the most notable protest organisations of the 19th century, including the Luddites, the Chartists, and the female suffrage campaigners.