#peterloo demonstration

[whats-in-a-sentence]

No widely popular songs hymned companionate and egalitarian marriages, but the radical Samuel Bamford wrote tender love poems to his wife and children.

How happy may we be, my love!

How happy may we be,

If we our humble means improve,

My wife, my child, and me.

Our home shall be a turtle's nest,

Where duty, peace, and love,

Shall make its inmates truly blest,

And sorrow far remove.

And if the world upon us frown,

Still peace serene is ours;

It cannot bear the free mind down,

With all its tyrant powers:

For if they bear me far away,

And bind me with a chain,

Our nestling will beside thee stay –

Then do not, love, complain.

As an active Chartist, handloom weaver and protester at the Peterloo demonstration, Bamford made it clear that the happy marriage depended upon the couple improving their 'humble means' and braving tyranny.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 28 June 1830, Joseph Grantham became the first officer of the new London Metropolitan Police to be killed in the line of duty, in an incident which was later deemed to be "justifiable homicide". Grantham tried to stop a fight between two drunk men in Somers Town, North London, and was then kicked to death. At the subsequent inquest, the jury determined that his killing was "justifiable" and that Grantham himself was responsible due to "over exertion in the discharge of his duty". The Met were the world's first modern, professional police force, created in 1829 and based in part on the experiences of the Royal Irish Constabulary, responsible for enforcing British colonial rule in Ireland. They were specifically designed to control the growing numbers of working class people, and break up strikes and demonstrations ideally without massacring people – as occurred in Peterloo 10 years prior, and which caused protests to escalate. As such, they were extremely unpopular, especially in working class areas of London, where a popular game for children was to hide in doorways until an officer walked past, at which point they would throw a brick or stone at him. Other police forces began to be created elsewhere, often by colonial authorities. For example in Kenya, the first police force was created by the Imperial British East Africa Company to protect their stores, and other police forces were established across the British empire. After colonised countries gained independence, in most cases police forces remained relatively intact. In the United States, the first forces in the North were set up to control working class crowds. In the South, many forces emerged from slave patrols, which were responsible for pursuing enslaved people who escaped, and deterring resistance by doling out brutal violence and terror. If you appreciate our historical work, please consider supporting us and accessing exclusive content here: https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=651804640326088&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[theculturedmarxist]

Over 500 children have been killed in Gaza in the last week and over 2,000 maimed, many with life changing injuries. Nobody can claim they do not know what is already happening or what is about to unfold. The cutting off of food and water to Gaza is a major international crime, which the western proponents of the “rules based order” universally refuse to condemn.

In both the UK and the US there can be no more stark illustration of the lack of any kind of meaningful democracy, than the fact that there is no major political party that opposes the genocide – despite massive public opposition.

The bought and paid for media and political class in the west are extremely nervous, throughout the western world. Now they have come to the final genocide for which zionism has always aimed, they face a good deal of popular resistance.

Throughout Europe there is a massive gap between the zionist unanimity of the politicians and the much greater understanding of the Palestinian situation among the general public. Tellingly the response by the zionist political class has been a wave of outright fascist suppression.

In France, Macron has made all pro-Palestinian demonstrations illegal, but as so often the French people are not standing for that kind of authoritarianism.

In the UK, the police have adopted the cowardly tactic of arresting a couple of individuals, one in Brighton and one in Manchester, for pro-Palestinian demonstration. Under Tony Blair’s notorious draconian “anti-terror” legislation, they could face up to 14 years in prison.

The young man in Manchester was arrested on the precise site of the famous “Peterloo massacre”, which generations of British people were taught at school was a terrible crime in breach of the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Let the irony of that set in.

You can go out in the streets of the UK with an Israeli flag and yell that you want every Palestinian to be cleansed from Gaza. That is not illegal. If you say the Palestinians have a right to resist their genocide, that is illegal.

That appears to be a genuine analysis of the law in the UK, France and many other western countries.

That is intended to terrify all of us. It will not work.

The European Commission has been ferociously zionist and gung-ho for this Palestinian genocide. It displayed the Israeli flag on its Berlaymont headquarters. It has taken a side in the most ferocious way.

It is therefore deeply sinister that the European Commission is actively working to shut down pro-Palestinian information and comment on social media. The European Commission has written to all major social media organisations and is able to threaten them with massive fines if they do not remove information of which the European Union disapproves.

The notion is plainly nonsense that through the fog of war the European Commission – which is 100% parti pris – is qualified to say what information is true and what information is false, and what comment is legitimate.

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner in charge of this operation, is a former chief executive of electronic companies – and defence contractors – Atos and Thomson. He has no genuine interest in freedom of speech, and is engaged in a process of silencing dissent for military aims, which is quite simply fascist.

We are witnessing almost all western governments deliberately facilitating massacre, ethnic cleansing and genocide. We are witnessing almost all western governments turning on their own people to crush dissent at that complicity in genocide.

This feels not so much like the week that western democracy died, as the week it was impossible any longer to deny that western democracy died some time ago.

[aroundtheworldiej]

The story of the guardian

By Nassim Belhadj

In this article, we will talk about one of the most famous British newspapers, from its creation at the beginning of the 19th century, to the present day and its success today.

Credits: The Guardian

The first beginnings

The newspaper was born following the Peterloo massacre. During this massacre, the police very violently repressed a peaceful workers' demonstration. John Edward Taylor, shocked by the massacre and the way the conservative press tells the event decides to create a newspaper. The goal is to offer another source and another point of view in the face of the conservative press. Thus, on May 5, 1871, the day of Napoleon's death, the first issue of the newspaper appeared, which at the time was called Manchester Guardian and Evening News Limited. The 1st issue was precisely about the death of the Corsican soldier.

Credits: Painting of Napoleon Bonaparte

One of England's most widely read newspapers

After recovering from a crisis in the 2010s, decades during which the distribution of paper fell by 60%. The Guardian is now read by more than 150,000 people. It also has a successful website, accumulating more than 150 million visitors per year. This one ranks in 2012, third most visited site in the world behind the Daily Mail and the New York Time. The same year the magazine was rewarded with the Pullitzer Prize, for its article on the revelations of Edward Snowden.

Credits: The Guardian

In conclusion, despite ups and downs. The newspaper has always been able to meet this. And it is now one of the most widely read daily newspapers in the world, not to mention its site, which is also thriving.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.16 (before 1920)

1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs. 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad. 963 – Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1328 – The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua, and will rule until 1708. 1513 – Battle of the Spurs (Battle of Guinegate): King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies defeat French Forces who are then forced to retreat. 1570 – The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer. 1652 – Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The Americans led by General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops under Friedrich Baum at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina. 1792 – Maximilien de Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal. 1793 – French Revolution: A levée en masse is decreed by the National Convention. 1812 – War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army. 1819 – Peterloo Massacre: Seventeen people die and over 600 are injured in cavalry charges at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England. 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history. 1844 – Governor-general of the Philippines Narciso Claveria, signs a decree to reform the country's calendar by skipping Tuesday, December 31, as a solution to anomalies that had existed since 1844. 1858 – U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks. 1859 – The Grand Duchy of Tuscany formally deposes the exiled House of Lorraine. 1863 – The Dominican Restoration War begins when Gregorio Luperón raises the Dominican flag in Santo Domingo after Spain had recolonized the country. 1869 – Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion largely made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory. 1876 – Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the penultimate opera in his Ring cycle, is premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. 1891 – The Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed. 1896 – Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush. 1900 – The Battle of Elands River during the Second Boer War ends after a 13-day siege is lifted by the British. The battle had begun when a force of between 2,000 and 3,000 Boers had surrounded a force of 500 Australians, Rhodesians, Canadians and British soldiers at a supply dump at Brakfontein Drift. 1906 – The 8.2 Mw Valparaíso earthquake hits central Chile, killing 3,882 people. 1913 – Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tohoku University) becomes the first university in Japan to admit female students. 1913 – Completion of the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary. 1916 – The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed. 1918 – The Battle of Lake Baikal was fought between the Czechoslovak Legion and the Red Army.

[christ2525]

What defines suffrage system?

testimonial, in delegate government, the option to cast a ballot in choosing public authorities and taking on or dismissing proposed regulation.

The historical backdrop of the testimonial, or establishment, is one of slow augmentation from restricted, favored bunches in the public eye to the whole grown-up populace. Virtually all advanced legislatures have accommodated general grown-up testimonial. It is viewed as in excess of an honor stretched out by the state to its populace, and it is somewhat considered an unavoidable right that inheres to each grown-up resident by ideals of citizenship. In vote based systems it is the essential method for guaranteeing that legislatures are capable to the represented.

What defines suffrage system?

The fundamental capabilities for testimonial are comparable all over the place, despite the fact that there are minor varieties from one country to another. Generally just the grown-up residents of a nation are qualified to cast a ballot there, the base age differing from 18 to 25 years. Most legislatures demand likewise on the citizen's connection to a specific territory or electorate. The crazy, certain classes of sentenced crooks, and those rebuffed for specific constituent offenses are for the most part banished from the testimonial.

Before the development of widespread testimonial, most nations required exceptional capabilities of their electors. In eighteenth and nineteenth century England, for example, there was a property or pay capability, the contention being that main the people who had a stake in the nation ought to be permitted a voice in its public undertakings. At one time, only men qualified for the testimonial. Numerous recently free nations of Asia and Africa, during the change from settlement to self-government, had an education capability for the testimonial. A few nations restrict it to specific racial or ethnic gatherings. Hence, for instance, South Africa, at one time, and the Old South of the US didn't allow their Dark populaces to cast a ballot.

Beginning OF Testimonial First kept in 1350-1400; Center English, from Old French, from Latin suffrāgium "casting a ballot tablet, a vote cast in a gathering (for a regulation or competitor), a demonstration of casting a ballot or the activity of the option to cast a ballot, the choice arrived at by a vote, a declaration of endorsement, impact or advancement for an up-and-comer," comparable to Latin suffrāg(ārī) "to communicate public help, vote or peddle for, support" + - ium thing postfix; see - ium

Types General testimonial

The Peterloo Slaughter of 1819 Widespread testimonial would be accomplished when all reserve the option to cast a ballot without limitation. It could, for instance, seem to be a framework where everybody was ventured to reserve the privilege to cast a ballot except if an administration can demonstrate without question the need to deny casting a ballot rights.[13] The pattern towards widespread testimonial has advanced in certain majority rule governments by wiping out an or all of the democratic limitations because of orientation, race, religion, economic wellbeing, schooling level, riches, citizenship, capacity and age. In any case, over the entire course of time the term 'general testimonial' has implied various things with the various suppositions about the gatherings that were or alternately were not considered beneficial electors.

Early history The fleeting Corsican Republic (1755-1769) was the primary country to give restricted general testimonial to all residents beyond 25 years old.

In 1819 60-80,000 people from 30 miles around Manchester gathered in the city's St. Peter's Square to fight their absence of any portrayal in the Places of Parliament. Student of history Robert Poole has called the Peterloo Slaughter one of the pivotal occasions of its age.[14] (The eponymous Peterloo film highlighted a scene of ladies suffragists arranging their commitment to the dissent.) around then Manchester had a populace of around 140,000 and the populace sums of More noteworthy Manchester were around 490,000.

This was trailed by different examinations in the Paris Collective of 1871 and the island republic of Franceville (1889). From 1840 to 1852, the Realm of Hawai'i allowed general testimonial without notice of sex. In 1893, when the Realm of Hawai'i was ousted in an upset, New Zealand was the main free country to rehearse general (dynamic) testimonial, and the Opportunity On the planet file records New Zealand as the main free country on the planet in 1893.

Testimonial procedures Electronic democratic is equipped for putting away the vote of numerous residents.

As indicated by the strategic and innovative request accessible for the discretionary activity, we can discuss:

Manual democratic: It is brought out through different frameworks of polling forms and printed media, in which the elector should check their decision, or from which they should pick the ideal voting form and spot it in a holder or some likeness thereof. At long last, the holders are opened and the votes are physically counted. Electronic democratic: It is done utilizing an exceptional PC or a machine intended for discretionary purposes, equipped for putting away the vote of numerous residents and afterward sending it instantly to the aggregating substance, leaving an electronic record of casting a ballot movement without disregarding its mystery.

[canmom]

a post about killing for sport, spectacle & sacrifice

the Romans famously made people kill each other in public spectacles. medieval Europeans had various ways of animal torture, such as bear-baiting. public executions have been practised for most of history in as far as I know the majority of societies on Earth; it is only relatively recently that executions first became private affairs and then were at least nominally abolished altogether. the state of course still reserves the exclusive right to kill, and exercises it frequently whether in police shootings, disability benefit cuts or border regulations designed with the recognition that people will drown at sea trying to cross them; it just now finds it distasteful to exercise it too often.

outright human sacrifice seems to have been relatively uncommon as a religious practice, but its logic still prevails in various ways: if somebody does for the sake of x, then x must be more important than that person’s life, after all. would the struggle to reach the south pole be remembered so fondly if it was not for the party which perished in the attempt? an actor’s final performance is accorded a certain poetry, especially if the rigours of the role are what killed them. yet curiously, despite the 20th century being a period in which killing was industrialised, with much bigger populations allowing much bigger genocides, wars and famines etc., public killing for spectacle or entertainment seems to have become a lot less popular. of course the news media still eagerly report on occasions where the rules break and someone gets killed in a ‘noteworthy’ way, but the murder itself is rarely done for the sake of making that public display. (cops would love to be able to just kill who they want without it turning into a public scandal and cause for mass protests, as retraumatising as it is to the survivors who knew the person killed to see the spectacle made of their death.)

I don’t really think I know enough to explain why this attitude changed. perhaps the ability to simulate it in movies has made it possible to sate peoples’ curiosity about death and the feelings it engenders without the real thing? perhaps in a world where many of us don’t live so close to the edge of it, it is harder to be blasé about it happening to someone? perhaps it is that killing publicly was usually a matter of authority, and power found more effective and subtle means to maintain its goals than Peterlooing every little political demonstration? no doubt Foucault knows. in any case, the fascination still exists. I don’t really think it’s wrong per se to like dark fiction and splattery movies, and this does actually seem to be the mainstream opinion judging by the fact that these kinds of fiction still continue to be made and draw audiences. I am still trying to work out exactly how I feel about the functions of fiction and how it relates to ‘real life’, but I am accepting again that I strongly prefer ‘dark’ fiction, and I think now I would say that it seems like a very appropriate tool to process the fact that we are all constantly being killed very abruptly and unpoetically by all sorts of small and large forces without any regard for the relationships we exist in or the ambitions we carry or any fantasy of ‘deservingness’. that’s the quiet horror of this universe. shit just happens.

i used to think a lot about suicide, now I think a lot about getting killed by something before I manage to make something of this life, and I pointedly don’t think about what I’d do if I lost one of the people I love. so... guess I read/watch and make art about people dying instead. at some point it will happen. i hope to fuck it isn’t soon.

[secretlifeofarabia]

The Skelmanthorpe flag is one of the most impressive survivors from the early days of organised labour. It is believed to have been made in Radcliffe Street, Skelmanthorpe near Huddersfield in 1819. It was made to honour the victims of the Peterloo Massacre who were attacked by the Yeomanry during a peaceful demonstration at St Peter's Fields in Manchester.

The bound man is a depiction of the slave in chains, one of the symbols of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. The image of the single eye was another symbol of justice, the eye of God keeping watch over humankind.

The flag was paraded at mass meetings throughout the area, including a Chartist rally at Peep Green near Hartshead, which was attended by an estimated quarter of a million people. It frequently had to be hidden from the authorities. It was rediscovered in a Skelmanthorpe warehouse in 1884 and given to Tolson Memorial Museum in 1924.

[libertaridan]

The Uncomfortable Relationship Between Guns and Freedom

The cause of freedom has always been one worth defending, no matter whose freedoms are under attack, no matter who is the attacker. Today US citizens mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday. But in 2020 in Virginia it was marked rather differently than usual when 22,000 citizens converged on the State Capitol to demonstrate against a move to curtail their freedom – new gun restrictions being imposed by the State’s Governor.

It can seem strange to us in the UK to watch this stand-off play out between the State Governor and citizens, with even police taking the side of ordinary people against the Governor. Here in the UK we began to lose our gun rights about 100 years ago and have seen them steadily eroded over the passing decades – the paranoia and cynical opportunism of the British establishment evident throughout.

The US is a different place though, founded on revolution against tyranny, the right to bear arms is a founding principle codified in the second amendment to the US Constitution. Gun owner rights advocates frequently cite their right to be armed as a key deterrent to state attacks on their rights. Something Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is finding out today as armed citizens peacefully mingle together, with their guns and banners, including one picturing a rifle with the words “come and take it”. That’s the object lesson for these peaceful demonstrators, no one is coming to take their guns precisely because they are armed and united. It’s an effective check on government tyranny, which is how the Governor’s dismissal of Constitutional rights is viewed. “This is about losing one of the base freedoms that we have. Without it, all the others fall right behind it,” said one demonstrator. And he has a point, as history demonstrates that terrible atrocities have been inflicted by governments against their own unarmed people.

We can take the example of Nazi Germany, whose Minister for the Interior, Wilhelm Frick, promulgated laws forbidding Jews to own weapons in 1938, then barely 3 years later the regime hatched what became known as the ‘final solution’ to kill the jews, over 1 million children included. Or we can look to more recent times, in 2012 the Chávez regime in Venezuela banned private gun ownership, but in 2017-18, under Maduro, pro-democracy demonstrators were shot dead by government forces in brutal retaliation to their call to end the oppressive socialist regime.

Against that backdrop perhaps we can have some sympathy with Second Amendment supporters in Virginia pushing back against Governor Northam’s disregard of their constitutional rights. Pushing back before it was too late is something Venezuelans can only wish they had done. “Guns would have served as a vital pillar to remaining a free people, or at least able to put up a fight,” said Javier Vanegas, 28, a Venezuelan teacher of English now exiled in Ecuador. But too late, is always too late.

What can Virginians learn? Power changes hands, they can’t guarantee the safety promised by the regime removing their guns will be honoured by future wielders of power. A sobering thought – one that might keep us Brits awake at night, and counting our lucky stars Marxism didn’t gain power at the last election.

And if the history of the world’s oppressive regimes is not enough reason to encourage the anti-gun lobby to think twice, there is at least one other important lesson from the Virginia demonstration for those who think triggers pull fingers – nobody got shot. The only arrest at the demonstration was of a woman who refused to remove a bandanna covering her face – though perhaps even that is a step too far in what is called a ‘free country’.

A free country is what we believe we have because 60 or so years ago millions of our relatives did take up arms against a tyrannical foe across the water, on the water and in the air. We know that guns were essential in pushing back tyranny then, and we don’t worry too much about that because we imagine such tyrants exist elsewhere. But elsewhere wasn’t what it was for Jews in Germany, and elsewhere wasn’t what it was for demonstrators in Venezuela, or Tiananmen Square, or any other government atrocity against their own people. Elsewhere isn’t what it was for peaceful voters in Catalonia or those resisting tyranny in Hong Kong. Has it been luck that Britain has been different of late? Are our leaders somehow made of finer clay? Have we moved on and left far behind in Peterloo, or Amritsar, a less civilised age of British rule? Or is it something a future generation must experience too?

As if to distract from the issue, here in the UK the social stigma the state has effectively constructed against guns is compounded by a whipped up paranoia against other inanimate objects – knives. So much so that the checkout assistant had to confirm my middle aged wife was over 18 when purchasing a butter knife. Even the common sense of that decision has been relegated to ‘computer says no’ procedure. But no need to worry, knife crime and shootings are rife, pepper spray legal in EU countries for self-defence is harder to obtain in the UK than a shotgun, and while you might become a victim at least you won’t be a perpetrator. Cold comfort indeed. But it’s a free country we’re told, so let’s hope it stays that way, because if it ever isn’t there won’t be anything you can do about it except run.

So, to the Virginians I say, stick with it, the alternative perhaps carries too high a price.

More on this issue: https://www.npr.org/2020/01/20/797895183/richmond-gun-rally-thousands-of-gun-owners-converge-on-virginia-capitol-on-mlk-d https://www.npr.org/2020/01/15/796666321/virginia-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-ahead-of-pro-gun-rally https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuelans-regret-gun-prohibition-we-could-have-defended-ourselves

[luckywilliams]

JOSEPH BARRA: A NAPOLEONIC CHESHIRE SUCCESS STORY

The actor Sean Bean made his name on TV playing the tough Napoleonic rifleman, Richard Sharpe, who rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant-colonel at the battle of Waterloo, in 1815. Sharpe was, of course, a fictional character, and the inspiration of the historical novelist Bernard Cornwell.

In many cases, however, truth can be stranger than fiction: Joseph Barra, born in Sussex, in 1780, was a real life ‘Sharpe’ who rose through the ranks of the military and achieved his greatest accolades whilst living and serving in Cheshire.

Joseph first enlisted in the cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, as a member of the 11th Light Dragoons. Although he started as a private, Barra had been promoted to sergeant by 1807. In 1808, he became a lieutenant, and by the end of 1815, he had become a captain.

The hurdle between being a ‘ranker’ and a ‘gentleman’ officer was enormous – few men surmounted it. However, Barra did just that. The Napoleonic and early Victorian ages were ones where most men paid money for their military rank and positions. Unusually, though, Barra achieved his promotions entirely via merit and ‘likeability’. For example, his commanding officer commented that Joseph’s manners were “ ……very quiet and perfectly like a gentleman”.

Other officers clearly shared this affection for Barra. After Waterloo, the size of the British army was reduced, as a cost cutting exercise, and Joseph Barra was one amongst many who were placed on half-pay as a consequence. Brother officers were clearly concerned about his future. Such was the esteem in which Barra was held, however, that his fellow comrades were instrumental in securing for him the position of adjutant of the Earl of Chester’s Yeomanry. This new posting helped secure Joseph’s financial future, and he proved to be a great success as adjutant.

The period after the end of the Napoleonic Wars was one of great unrest and uncertainty in Cheshire, and in the rest of the country. In 1819, peaceful demonstrators in Manchester were cut down and killed by yeomanry cavalry, at the infamous Peterloo Massacre. In 1824, however, riots in Macclesfield were resolved in a much more peaceful fashion. As adjutant of the Earl of Chester’s Yeomanry, Barra was instrumental in ensuring this more peaceful resolution of differences. So much so, that he was offered the thanks of both the town corporation and mayor of Macclesfield, and of Sir Robert Peel, who was the Home Secretary at the time.

This distinguished, but little known, old soldier and cavalryman was finally buried in Knutsford, in 1839, aged 59. He was given a full military funeral, and his presentational sword (given to him by fellow officers when he left the cavalry on half-pay) was interred with him.

The Cheshire (Earl of Chester’s) Yeomanry were part of the force sent to ‘police’ The Peterloo meeting.

Adrian Bridge

[letterboxd]

History.

Mike Leigh lets us in on his five favorite historical dramas.

Mike Leigh is a filmmaking treasure the world doesn’t deserve. Primarily associated with intimate, heavily workshopped dramas such as Meantime, Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, the five-time Academy Award nominee is equally adept at all sorts of other genres, as evidenced by the legendarily brutal character study Naked, the behind-the-scenes period musical Topsy-Turvy, and his more recent art biopic Mr. Turner.

Despite that well demonstrated versatility, many audiences still hold on to an idea of what a “classic” Mike Leigh film comprises, and his latest effort, Peterloo, goes further away from that than anything he’s made prior.

Peterloo centers around a violent incident in British history, the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, where the government-backed cavalry charged into a peaceful crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered in Manchester, England to demand democratic reform and protest rising poverty levels.

More than a dozen protesters were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also a greater government crackdown.

The film, starring Rory Kinnear and Maxine Peake, hits US theaters this week. It was released in the UK late last year, when Letterboxd member Mark Cunliffe remarked upon its stark degree of contemporary relevance: “If you think that Peterloo is something that belongs to the past, then you’re living in cloud cuckoo land. Its message resonates to this day. There’s a moment where Maxine Peake’s matriarch Nellie calculates that her youngest daughter will be 85 in the year 1900 and hopes that the world will be a better, fairer place for her by then. The sad truth is we’re still waiting for that equal society.”

Or as Matt Lynch put it, this is “Mike Leigh’s Ken Loach movie”.

Mike Leigh on the set of ‘Peterloo’.

To mark the opening of Peterloo in American theaters, Mike Leigh shared a list of his favorite historical dramas with us. See the list on the site, or read on for the low-down.

Mike Leigh’s Favorite Historical Dramas

Napoleon (1927) Directed by Abel Gance

Five-and-a-half-hour-long silent era classic. Only covers part of the story as Gance planned to make five sequels. He didn’t. Don’t let the running time put you off, says member Plain_Simple_T, “It may have an epic length but hardly a single minute is wasted; this is a powerful, rousing and cleverly directed film with an excellent Carl Davis score that enlightens, awes and entertains.”

The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) Directed by Alexander Korda

Legendary British actor Charles Laughton, who later directed the all-time classic The Night of the Hunter, gave arguably his most iconic performance (okay, after Mutiny on the Bounty) in this biopic of the King who couldn’t stop getting married. “One of my favorite renditions of this period. Very funny, very true, and great characters,” writes member rosieroobud.

I Am Cuba (1964) Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov

This Soviet-Cuba film comprises four vignettes set in the final days of the Batista regime, and was designed as a pro-Castro piece of filmmaking. Famous for its innovative cinematography, as described eloquently by member Oscar Lau: “The virtuoso camera work flowed, twirled, descended, arose, marched, without physical and cerebral restriction.”

Barry Lyndon (1975) Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Another film known for its cinematography, Stanley Kubrick infamously lit this movie so that it looked like only candlelight was being used. It’s one of his least seen, but most acclaimed, films, and its reputation grows with every passing year. “Absolute masterpiece! Hilarious and mesmerizing. I have so many thoughts but need to watch it again to clarify everything!” enthuses member tommygroove. Mike Leigh himself said in an interview with Creative Screening that Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 classic is “a great film with a great script, drawn from a literary source obviously, and very integrated”.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) Directed by Ermanno Olmi

Of this Palme d’Or-winning film about farm life in late 19th-century Italy, Mike Leigh once said: ”The Tree of Wooden Clogs is a film about man and place, environment, seasons, the passing cycle of things; it’s about power, class, religion and faith; love, superstition and journeys; life and death.” So basically the Avengers: Endgame of 1978. It’s a hefty list, but we’d expect nothing less from a filmmaker as serious and notable as Mike Leigh. Thanks Mike! Now do the right thing and add these to your watchlists.

‘Peterloo’ is in US cinemas now.

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 28 June 1830, Joseph Grantham became the first officer of the new London Metropolitan Police to be killed in the line of duty, in an incident which was later deemed to be "justifiable homicide". Grantham tried to stop a fight between two drunk men in Somers Town, North London, and was then kicked to death. At the subsequent inquest, the jury determined that his killing was "justifiable" and that Grantham himself was responsible due to "over exertion in the discharge of his duty". The Met were the world's first modern, professional police force, created in 1829 and based in part on the experiences of the Royal Irish Constabulary, responsible for enforcing British colonial rule in Ireland. They were specifically designed to control the growing numbers of working class people, and break up strikes and demonstrations ideally without massacring people – as occurred in Peterloo 10 years prior, and which caused protests to escalate. As such, they were extremely unpopular, especially in working class areas of London, where a popular game for children was to hide in doorways until an officer walked past, at which point they would throw a brick or stone at him. Other police forces began to be created elsewhere, often by colonial authorities. For example in Kenya, the first police force was created by the Imperial British East Africa Company to protect their stores, and other police forces were established across the British empire. After colonised countries gained independence, in most cases police forces remained relatively intact. In the United States, the first forces in the North were set up to control working class crowds. In the South, many forces emerged from slave patrols, which were responsible for pursuing enslaved people who escaped, and deterring resistance by doling out brutal violence and terror. Learn more about problems with the institution of the police in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/the-end-of-policing-alex-s-vitale https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2021773698007770/?type=3

[animals-are-comrades-too]

The peterloo film.

I just saw the trailer for “peterloo” it looks great and it’s about a very important piece of social history. In 1819 a conservative government turned cavalry on working people who were demonstrating for the right to vote. 15 people were killed. Always important to remember our rights weren’t given to us, they were hard won by workers movements. Representative democracy may only seem like a minor concession to us today but this was hard won and we owe it to the sacrifices these people.

https://youtu.be/Dj5h1kKjVYcB

[worldhistoryfacts]

“The Massacre at Peterloo! or a Specimen of English Liberty” -- a cartoon depicting the “Peterloo Massacre.”  At St. Peter’s field near Manchester, more than 60,000 people gathered in 1819 to demand a more representative Parliament and better working conditions. Cavalry charged into the crowd, killing 15, and leading people to dub this “Peterloo” -- a reference to the battle of Waterloo four years before. The demonstration became a symbol of the desire for reform and the British government’s resistance to change.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.16 (before 1900)

1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs. 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad. 963 – Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1328 – The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua, and will rule until 1708. 1513 – Battle of the Spurs (Battle of Guinegate): King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies defeat French Forces who are then forced to retreat. 1570 – The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer. 1652 – Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The Americans led by General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops under Friedrich Baum at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina. 1792 – Maximilien de Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal. 1793 – French Revolution: A levée en masse is decreed by the National Convention. 1812 – War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army. 1819 – Peterloo Massacre: Seventeen people die and over 600 are injured in cavalry charges at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England. 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history. 1858 – U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks. 1859 – The Grand Duchy of Tuscany formally deposes the exiled House of Lorraine. 1863 – The Dominican Restoration War begins when Gregorio Luperón raises the Dominican flag in Santo Domingo after Spain had recolonized the country. 1869 – Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion largely made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory. 1876 – Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the penultimate opera in his Ring cycle, premieres at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. 1891 – The Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed. 1896 – Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.

[bangkokjacknews]

Why is a false clue called a Red Herring?

When we look out of the window and it is Raining Cats and Dogs, don’t go out there. There are several suggestions for the origin of this phrase, one alluding to a famous occasion when it actually rained frogs. Apparently many were lifted into the air during a howling gale and then dropped to the ground around startled pedestrians. Cockney rhyming slang then substituted ‘cats and dogs’ for ‘frogs.' But I don’t believe that. I prefer the ancient nautical myth, which led sailors to believe that cats had some sort of influence over storms. According to the Vikings dogs were also a symbol of storms and they always appear in illustrations and descriptions of their own Norse god of storms. Odin, Father of Thor was the god of thunder and is described as an old bearded man with one eye who wore a cloak and wide brimmed hat. Many claim he was the inspiration for J.R.Tolkien’s character Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Because of this connection, ancient mariners believed that when it rained it was the cats who caused it, and when the gales appeared it was brought along by the dogs, leading to the phrase ‘raining cats and dogs. The phrase first appeared in literature when Jonathan Swift wrote in his 1738 book, ‘A Complete Collection of Polite and Ingenious Conversation’; ‘I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs.' In 1653 Richard Broome wrote in his play City Wit, ‘It shall rain dogs and polecats’ suggesting he too alluded to the old nautical tales. Frogs indeed! Red Herring – The phrase is used to describe something that provides a false or misleading clue, often in a detective story. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century Herring was one of the most widely caught fish in the seas around Britain. In those pre-refrigerated days Herring would be preserved by heavily salting and smoking the fish to ensure it was still edible by the time they arrived at market across English towns. More from Albert Jack This smoking process would turn the Herring a deep brownish red colour. Heavily smoked Herring would also have another notable characteristic, which was particularly strong and pungent smell. To find out the origins of the well-known phrase we have to turn to hunting in the early 1800’s, or to me more accurate, hunt saboteurs. It’s true, there must have been an early version of the modern fox lover as on hunt days the strong smelling fish would be dragged along the hunt route and away from the foxes. This confused the hounds who followed the scent of the Red Herring rather than that of the fox, who would then scurry off to safety. So effective was this tactic that the phrase passed into common English language meaning 'to lay a false clue.' To Read The Riot Act is an expression used when an individual or group of people are given a rollicking about their bad behaviour. The original Riot Act was passed by the British Government in 1715 as an attempt to increase the powers of the civil authorities when a town was threatened by riotous behaviour. The act made it a serious crime for groups of twelve or more people not to disperse within one hour of it being read out to the mob. The Act read: Our Sovereign Lord the King chargeth and commandeth all persons being assembled immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in the act made in the first year of King George for preventing tumultuous and riotous assemblies. God save the King. Those failing to disperse risked penal servitude for not less than three years or imprisonment with hard labour for up to two years. Actually reading it out took extraordinary courage and often, during serious disturbances, many didn’t hear it anyway. After the Peterloo Massacre near Manchester in 1819 many of the convicted demonstrators claimed not to have heard the act being read and the same defence was put during trials for the 1743 Gin Riots, 1768 St George’s Massacre and the 1780 Gordon Riots. A rowdy bunch weren’t they. The Act remained on the statute book until it was repealed in the 1970’s, but little use had been made of it for over a century by then, apart from when I come home late from the pub, singing loudly. The Rule of Thumb is a rough estimate based on experience rather than formal calculation. The expression has been in wide use since the late 1600’s and there are several suggestions for its origin. One of them emanates from the ale makers where, in the days before accurate thermometers were available, the brewer would test the temperature of fermenting beers by dipping his thumb in. I like it, but can find no connection between a brewer and his thumb. If this was the phrase’s origin I would expect to at least find a pub called The Brewers Thumb, but I can’t. There is a beer called ‘Millers Thumb,' but that’s not quite enough evidence is it. Another suggestion dates back to the middle ages when it was possible for a man to legally beat his wife with a cane no thicker than his thumb. Evidence of this comes to light in the ‘Biographical Dictionary of the Judges of England’ written by Edward Foss in 1864. In the text Foss suggests that a ‘husband may beat his wife, so that the stick with which he administers the castigation is not thicker than his thumb.' Of course it should have been possible for a wife to beat the man who put that law on the statute book, with a stick no thicker than he was. Either way, I also don’t believe that to be the origin of our phrase. Instead we again travel back to the Romans who used the tip of the thumb (from the knuckle upward) as a unit of measurement as any thumb would fit roughly twelve times into the next unit of measurement, a foot. There is definitely a connection as the French word for inches is ‘pouces’ which translates as ‘thumb’ and that remained a standard unit of measurement until we all turned metric. The Roman bricklayers used their thumbs to estimate measurements and the phrase has been in standard use ever since. - Albert Jack Shaggy Dogs extracts Albert Jack AUDIOBOOKS available for download here  

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