Peterloo

The massacre which was derisively dubbed ‘Peterloo’ took place in St Peter's Fields (Manchester) on 16 August 1819. A radical reform meeting of 60, 000-100, 000 people was violently broken up by the local yeomanry who were ordered by the magistrates to arrest the speaker, Henry Hunt. Eleven people were killed and over 400 wounded. The government promptly congratulated the magistrates and rushed through the Six Acts. It was condemned at mass meetings throughout the country and was commemorated for many years afterwards.