What was the Peterloo Massacre?

THE PETERLOO MASSACRE 1819
Below is a picture of what happened when 60,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Fields in
Manchester in August 1819. The crowd were campaigning to have an MP because they
needed somebody to speak up for them in Parliament. They needed someone to speak up
because many of them were losing their jobs due to a slump in trade.
The magistrate – ordering the arrest of Henry Hunt
Members of the 15th Hussars cavalry
Henry Hunt –
speaking in favour of reform
Protestors in favour of reform who had come to hear Henry Hunt
1. In your own words, describe what happened in this event using the information above.
Who was to blame?
This event was a tragedy. 11 people were killed and hundreds were injured. In the next
few days it became headline news across the country. The newspapers nicknamed the
event ‘Peterloo’ because the soldiers who cut their way through the crowd had fought at
the Battle of Waterloo four years earlier. One question was on everyone’s lips – who was
to blame?
There are two possible explanations:
a) It was the fault of the crowd and the speaker Henry Hunt.
This version of the story says that Henry Hunt was whipping up the emotions of the crowd
and they were becoming more and more aggressive. The magistrates (people in charge of
law and order) decided that they should end the meeting before it got out of hand. They
decided to send in the Yeomanry (part – time policemen) to arrest Henry Hunt from the
stage. When they tried this, the crowd attacked them and the magistrates were forced to
send in the soldiers to rescue the Yeomanry who might have been killed by the crowd.
b) It was the fault of the magistrates and soldiers
This version of the story says that the magistrates ordered the arrest of Henry Hunt for no
good reason, except that they thought that he was a troublemaker. The soldiers then charged
into the unarmed, peaceful crowd and killed innocent men, women and children.
Read the source below and answer the questions which follow:
SOURCE 1 – written by one of the crowd.
‘I saw the main group proceeding towards St. Peter’s Fields, and never saw a gayer
spectacle…. The ‘marching order’ was what we often see now in the procession of
Sunday School children…. Our group laughed at the fears of the magistrates and the
remark was that if men intended mischief they would not have brought their wives, their
sisters or their children with them.’
2. What view of the crowd is given by source 1?
3. Why might the evidence given by this witness be biased (one – sided)?
Explain your answer.
Read the source below and answer the questions which follow:
SOURCE 2 – written by Lieutenant Joliffe, one of the soldiers from the 15th Hussars (the soldiers who rescued the Yeomanry, but killed members of the crowd).
‘The Manchester troop of Yeomanry….were scattered over the greater part of the field, literally hemmed into the mob so that they were powerless either to make an impression or to escape….it required only a glance to discover their helpless position, and the necessity of our being brought to their rescue.’
4. What view of the crowd is given by source 2?
5. Why might the evidence given by this witness be biased (one – sided)? Explain your answer.
CONCLUSION
6. Which witness (SOURCE 1 – the member of the crowd, or SOURCE 2 – the soldier) do you think is more reliable? Explain your answer.
7. Look back at the picture and think carefully about your previous answer. In your opinion who was to blame for the events on August 16th 1819 at St. Peter’s Fields in Manchester? Explain your answer.