Northern Star, 3rd January 1852
After the defeat suffered by Chartism in 1848 a range of options about how to change society developed. One was Harney’s The Charter and Something More, a social democratic programme influenced by Marx and Engels.
Another perhaps less explored in relation to Chartism was Co-Operation. The above report appeared in the first issue of the Chartist Northern Star in 1852 (its last year of publication).
The report is notable for the location, the Temperance Hall, the banner ‘the organisation of labour’ and the presence of female co-operators. Co-operation also featured as a strategy promoted during the 1853/4 Preston lock out.
EP Thompson’s argument that having failed to challenge market capitalism the Chartists and their successors proceeded to warren it from end to end comes to mind here.
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