Between 1837 and 1842 was a time of economic recession .This was when Chartism began and reached its peak. The poor and the working classes suffered the most and this led to riots and protests across the country (W.W Rostow, Graph of social tension, The Open University, 2016, Block 2, page 36.)
‘Destitution in horrid form stalks through lane, street and thoroughfare’, its emaciated frames, its haggard features’, its insufficiency of food’ and ‘the famished victims’ (Northern Star 6 July 1839 page 5) are just a few quotes that can be found in the speech .Many listeners in the audience would have been able to relate to the emotive descriptions the speaker talks of, if they had not suffered too much themselves they would have at least seen the