Chartism, the working class movement for democratic and social rights which swept across Britain from the 1830s to the 1850s, has enjoyed a remarkably enduring posthumous life. Matthew Roberts’s talk will explore the ways Chartism has lived on, and ask who has kept the memories of the movement alive, and to what end?

The talk will focus on three case studies: the interwar political left; the attempts by the political and cultural establishment to co-opt Chartism since the 1980s; and the role of Chartism in the contemporary and ongoing campaigns for democratic renewal promoted by a range of heritage organisations and groups.

Matthew Roberts is Associate Professor of Modern British History at Sheffield Hallam University. He works mainly on 19th century British political and cultural history, with research specialisms in the history of popular politics and protest, the visual and material culture of politics, and the history of emotions. The talks is based on his latest book, ‘Chartism, Commemoration and the Cult of the Radical Hero’, which was published by Routledge in 2020.

This talk will be live-streamed – join-up details will be provided on the event Web page on the day of the talk.