The Haberdashers’ Aske’s School Occasional Papers Series in the Humanities Occasional Paper Number Thirty-Two Le massacre de Peterloo dans l’imaginaire populaire - Causes et conséquences d’un évènement tragique (Peterloo massacre in the collective imagination Causes and consequences of a tragic event) Wassila Boutchich
[email protected] June 2020 1 A Haberdashers’ Aske’s Occasional Paper. All rights reserved. Haberdashers’ Aske’s Occasional Paper Number Thirty-Two June 2020 All rights reserved Peterloo massacre in the collective imagination Causes and consequences of a tragic event Abstract The 19th century is known as one of the most eventful periods in British history. Between the progress of the Industrial Revolution, and the waves of unrest at the start of the century, this era marks the beginning of societal evolution. This period is known, in particular, as a time when members of the working class tried to carve out a place for themselves and claim their rights. Of all the rallies that took place during this time, the 1819 protest in Manchester is undoubtedly the most important. On the 16th of August 1819, tens of thousands of people decided to peacefully demonstrate in order to demand parliamentary reform. Women and children were at the front of the group, playing and dancing to the sound of musicians. However, this did not prevent a militia from storming the crowd. As a result, fifteen people died and hundreds more were injured. This event prompted public outrage and strong reactions, especially in the press. For this thesis, I decided to ask myself three questions: How were the demonstrators represented in the press after the event? How was law enforcement represented? What were the effects of this massacre on society? In order to answer these questions, I consulted several newspaper articles from the time.