Manchester in the early 1800s was England's newest, most rapidly expanding commercial centre, soon to be known as 'Cottonopolis'. The region's hand loom weavers found themselves constantly buffeted by trade slumps, undercut by cheap labour and increasing mechanization, and sinking ever deeper into poverty.
At the time, only 10 per cent of the male population were eligible to vote. Manchester and Salford, with a population of 150,000, had no MP in parliament. After many mass petitions to the Prince Regent asking him to intervene in the plight of the majority (including the petition carried by the 'blanketeer'marchers) were ignored or suppressed, a peaceful campaign for parliamentary reform emerged, demanding universal male suffrage.
