On 16 August 1819 tens of thousands of protestors met to listen to the radical speaker Henry Hunt at St Peter’s Field, Manchester. The meeting was organised by the Manchester Patriotic Union which demanded universal suffrage and voting reform. Tensions were high — the end of the Napoleonic Wars had resulted in economic recession and fears of revolution.
Local magistrates decided to arrest Hunt and other speakers before they could address the demonstration. The Manchester and Salford Yeomanry were charged with the task but failed and the Hussars were brought in to disperse the crowd. The resulting carnage killed 15 civilians and injured hundreds more. The ‘Peterloo Massacre’ was followed by a further crackdown on reform. Many people were outraged and the Manchester Guardian (today the Guardian newspaper) was founded as a response.
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