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[[File:Poster it.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Figure 1. Peterloo movie poster.]]__NOTOC__The movie <i>Peterloo</i> tells the story of a mass demonstration in Manchester in 1819, where British forces ultimately broke up the protest that was calling for increased democratic representation. The government forces killed many of the protesters, leading to the event to be called the Peterloo Massacre. The area where the massacre occurred was known as St. Peter's field, and since the famous battle of Waterloo had occurred just four years earlier, protestors criticizing the government gave the events the mocking name of Peterloo. How historically accurate is the movie Peterloo?====Background====In 1815, the United Kingdom, after the Napoleonic wars, had vast wealth inequality with many areas very poor and receiving little to no representation in parliament. Economic stagnation began to take hold. Voting was still relatively restricted to the wealthy and those who held land, who held virtually all the power in the country. In fact, one had to prove they owned a portion of the land of a given value before they received the right to vote. The situation worsened as the country recovered from the war.

In 1815, the United Kingdom after the war with Napoleanic wars had vast wealth inequality with many areas very poor and receiving little to no representation in parliament. Voting was still relatively restricted to the wealthy and those who held land, who held virtually all the power in the country. In fact, one had to prove they owned a portion of land of a given value before they received the right to vote. The situation worsened as the country recovered from the war. Furthermore, constituencies that could be represented in parliament were based on Medieval maps and drawings of districts, leading to some areas which were virtually uninhabited having more representation than places that had large populations. This was known as the rotten boroughs, areas that had representation without proportional population. The textile industries were hardest hit at this point, with many workers losing their jobs after the wars. There were also tariffs passed, the so-called Corn Laws, which imposed tariffs on foreign grain, making it very expensive to buy food and the quality of British grain was much lower. Many people could not afford the higher food costs, leading to famine and with areas such as Lancashire being particularly hit hard. Henry Hunt became a leading agitator of this period, calling for the repeal of the Corn Laws and greater representation and rights for the working classand full suffrage. Protests and gathering had taken hold in Manchester and other places throughout 1819, leading up to the critical events. The government, meanwhile, having has seen the French Napoleonic wars beginning with the period of the French Revolution, was fearful that protestors could try to overthrow the government and political system, which felt in jeopardy (Figure 1). In fact, this was a common fear not only in Britain but other countries in Europe and even the United States.<ref>For more on England and the United Kingdom after the Napoleonic wars, see: Riding, J., 2018. <i>Peterloo: the story of the Manchester massacre</i>. Head of Zeus, London.</ref>

[[File:Poster it====Plot====The movie begins by giving background to the story. The Napoleonic wars had just ended. Rather than relief, for most English people this meant misery with oppressive conditions and no hope of improving their condition under the current laws. Former soldiers, textile workers, and others begin to organize protests and rallies against the government as the Corn Laws and other legislation that makes their lives worse are passed.jpg|thumb|Figure 1Henry Hunt arrives in Manchester from London to speak to the protestors, where he was invited to join and lead the protests. Peterloo movie posterHe is depicted as a wealthy man who was nonetheless sympathetic to the plight of the working and poorer classes, wanting greater equality for the classes and greater representation. Despite this, he still has some arrogance to his character, being of a higher class than many of the people he speaks for and considering himself better positioned to represent them. ]]

Henry Hunt arrives in Manchester from London to speak to the protestors. He is depicted as a wealthy man who was nonetheless more akin to a socialist, wanting greater equality for the working classes and greater representation. Despite this, he still has some arrogance to his character, being of a higher class than many of the people he speaks for. Lord Sidmouth, who controls a network of government spies, sees sedition and threat of violence if the protestors are allowed to continue to agitate for greater reforms. His spies make the situation sound worse to him and he becomes more paranoid with events. Events lead to August 16, 1819, when dragoons and yeoman soldiers stationed nearby are brought to the gathering taken place. As they move in to arrest Hunt, they then try to disperse the crowd. This eventually leads to pandamonia, as they then charge the crowd, with 18 people killed and many more injured. The government then begins a severe crackdown on reforms and suspends rights to gather, passing the Six Acts law that suppressed meetings seen as potentially radical. However, while the protest movement was largely suppressed, the events inspired locals to found the newspaper the <i>Manchester Guardian</i> in 1821, which becomes the <i>Guradian</i> of today. The newspaper was Protests eventually become non-violent in focus, with writing being the key vehicle of protest. Writers such as John Taylor and others begin to call for greater government reforms using the <i> Guardinan</i> as their key mouthpiece, making the paper ultimately become a key voice for later reforms and later protestors and activists begin who began to use the events and founding of the newspaper to eventually begin to convince the British government to reform and create a more inclusive democracy.<ref>For more on the founding <i>Guardian</i> and its connection to the Peterloo events, see: Read, D., 1973. <i>Peterloo: the “massacre” and its background</i>. Manchester U.P., Manchester. </ref>

<dh-ad/>====Key Characters====Samuel Bamford: He is considered a radical reformer who called for the repeal of the Corn Laws and greater democratic participation. He had been put in jail for treason but released by the government. He is one of the lead organizers of the 1819 protests and after the events of Peterloo he was arrested again. However, the events heavily influence his thinking on protests and non-violent movements, advocating for less violent means to change the government. He later used his writing to protest against government action.<ref>For more on Bamford, see: Bamford, S., Poole, R., 2000. <i>The diaries of Samuel Bamford</i>. Sutton, Stroud.</ref>

Samuel BamfordHenry Hunt: He is a radical reformer who called for the repeal leader of the Corn Laws revolutionaries, and greater democratic participation. He had been put in jail for treason but released by the government. He is one of the lead organizers of the 1819 protests and after the events of Peterloo he period's best-known orator (his nickname was arrested. However, even the events heavily influence his thinking on protests and non-violent movements"orator"), advocating who is also known for less violent means his opposition to change the governmentCorn Laws. Although he comes from a privileged background, he also wanted universal suffrage. He later After his arrest at Peterloo, he used his writing to protest against push his causes for more inclusive government action, although he died a broken man tired by years of protests.<ref>For more on Hunt, see: Belchem, J., 2012. <i>“Orator” Hunt: Henry Hunt and English working-class radicalism</i>. Breviary Stuff Publications, London.</ref>

Henry HuntJoseph Peake: He A fictional character, he is a leader veteran of Waterloo, where the revolutionaries, known movie begins by showing him having suffered PTSD after fighting for his oration and his hatred of the Corn Lawsgovernment against Napolean. He also wanted universal suffrage. After his arrest at Peterloo, he used his writing returns to push his causes, although he died a broken man tired Manchester distraught by years events of proteststhe war and having few or minimal options in England after the war. He becomes radicalized and joins the movement against the government by 1819.

Joseph PeakeLord Sidmouth: A fictional characterHe is the Home Secretary who is depicted as someone who ran something akin to the Gestapo, he is controlling a veteran network of Waterloo, where the movie begins by showing him having suffered PTSD after fighting spies and others who were eager to stamp out any possible agitation for the government against Napoleanrebellion or reform. He returns even uses the event of a potato thrown at the Prince Regent as an excuse to Manchester distraught by events say that there was an assassination attempt against the Prince, justifying greater oppression of the war rights.<ref>For more on Lord Sidmouth and having few or little options his role in England after Peterloo, see: Walmsley, R., 1969. <i>Peterloo: the warcase reopened</i>. He becomes radicalized and joins the movement against the government by 1819Manchester U.P, Manchester, pg.268</ref>

Lord SidmouthPrince Regent (George IV): An overweight spoiled man who effectively became the monarch of Great Britain as his ailing father (George III) increasingly went mad in the 1810s. He is the Home Secretary who is depicted shown as someone who ran something akin to the Gestapoa humorous but an uncaring figure. Ultimately, he was more interested in women and drinking then government, controlling a network with most of spies and others who were eager the governing tasks given to stamp out any possible agitation for rebellion or reformLord Liverpool. He even uses the event of a potato thrown at <ref>For more on the Prince Regent as an excuse to say that there was an assassination attempt against , see: Hibbert, C., Hibbert, C., 2007. <i>George IV: the Princerebel who would be king</i>. Palgrave Macmillan, justifying greater oppression of rightsNew York. </ref>

Prince Regent (George IV)Lord Liverpool: An overweight spoiled child The Prime Minister who effectively became ruled during the monarch end of Great Britain as his ailing father (George III) increasingly went madthe Napoleonic wars and who had to oversee the rise of discontent after the wars. He is shown as was not known for having a humorous but uncaring figuregreat imagination, particularly in dealing with ills in society after the war. UltimatelyWhile Lord Liverpool was known for banning the slave trade and emancipating Catholics, he was more interested who were repressed in women and socializing then governmentEngland, with most he showed ignorance of other problems. He presided over an increasingly austere government towards the governing tasks given working poor, that feared them more than anything, limiting their collective power to strike and gather.<ref>For more on Lord Liverpool, see: Hay, W.A., 2018. <i>Lord Liverpool: a political life</i>. The Boydell Press, Woodbridge. </ref>

Lord Liverpool: The Prime Minister who ruled during ====Wider Impact of the end of Film====In many ways, the Napoleonic wars and who had film seems to oversee be about events that most people don't remember today. However, the rise of discontent after filmmakers try to show the wars. Lord Liverpool was known for banning parallels to today, where left-wing opposition to greater social inequality and increased populism act as agitators to push the slave trade government to reform and emancipating Catholics, who were repressed in Englandaccount for increasing discontent. However, he presided over increasingly austere government towards the working poor, limiting their collective power The long road to strike eventually greater freedoms is depicted as having been bathed in blood and many years of unsuccessful protests that only succeeded with perseverance and gathersmall victories such as the founding the <i> Guardian</i>.

==Wider Impact Ultimately the movie is a critique of how wealth and powerful classes pass legislation and manipulate government to keep power concentrated with them, while also using the poorer classes to fight their wars and power industry. The film does generally show key events in a historically accurate manner, although historians still debate the true impact of Peterloo on British democracy and reforms in the later 19th century. Many other repressive laws and events continued to occur long after Peterloo and, in fact, probably the event represents a beginning of several decades of agitation that slowly faded as the 19th century continued with gradually increasing freedoms given to lower classes and greater benefits given through improved worker laws and rights such as the Film==right to gather and protest.

In many ways, the film seems to be about events that most people don't remember today. However, the filmmakers try to show the parallels today, where left-wing opposition to greater social inequality and increased populism as agitators try to push the government to reform. The long road to eventually greater freedoms are depicted as having been bathed in blood and many years of unsuccessful protests that only succeeded with perseverance and small victories such as the founding the <i> Guardian</i>. Ultimately the movie is a critique of how wealth and powerful classes pass legislation and manipulate government to keep power concentrated with them, while also using the poorer classes to fight their wars and power industry. The film does generally show key events in a historically accurate manner, although historians still debate the true impact of Peterloo on British democracy. Many other repressive laws and events continued to occur long after Peterloo and, in fact, probably represents a beginning of several decades of agitation that slowly faded as the 19th century continued with gradually increasing freedoms given to lower classes and greater benefits given through improved worker laws and rights such as the right to gather and protest. {{MediaWiki:AmNative}}====References====<References/>[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:British History]] [[Category: Historically Accurate]] [[Category:19th Century History]] [[Category:Political History]]