On the 16th of August 1819, 15 people were killed and 100s were wounded/injured, when the Manchester Yeomanry attacked a crowd numbering 60,000 at a political reform meeting at St Peter’s Fields, Manchester.
So to commemorate the event that became known as ‘The Peterloo Massacre’, we’ve posted two letters written by the radical orator, Henry Hunt. These letters were written by Hunt while he was in prison (he was later sentenced to two years in prison for speaking at the meeting).
To learn more about this historic incident, just do a search for “St Peter’s Field” in the Archive, and navigate to stories published after 16 August 1819.
Morning Post – Tuesday 31 August 1819
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18190831/005/0002
Morning Post – Tuesday 31 August 1819
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18190831/005/0002
