From politics to popular culture Manchester was arguably never so significant as during the 1840s. Chartism, the Anti-Corn Law League, Free Trade, Engels, Marx, Secular education, Gaskell's Mary Barton, Disraeli’s Coningsby, Robert-Houdin's magic at The Theatre Royal, William Marsden's half day holiday, Cathedral status, pioneering scientific and industrial achievement - the list goes on.
In a decade of European revolutions the idas emanating from Manchester gave it a central role on the international stage. The talk discusses Manchester in the key decade, the 1840s, with verve and humour.
As Asa Briggs wrote in Victorian Cities (the best book on British nineteenth century cities): 'All roads led to Manchester in the 1840s. It was the shock city of the age, and it was as difficult to be neutral about it as it was to be neutral about Chicago in the 1890s or Los Angeles in the 1930s. Chicago forced to the surface ethnic problems, the relations between one linguistic group and another in a national 'melting pot': Manchester forced to the surface problems of 'class' of the relations between rich and poor. If you wanted to learn about 'the true character of the age' you had to go to Manchester to find out 'the truth'.'
You can book on the tour below. Before that I'm delivering a talk under the same title for Manchester Histories Festival at 2pm on Sunday 23 March. It's £5 pp and tickets can be bought here.
For the tour on Saturday 2 August, meet at 3pm at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel. £8. Just turn up and pay on the day.
In a decade of European revolutions the idas emanating from Manchester gave it a central role on the international stage. The talk discusses Manchester in the key decade, the 1840s, with verve and humour.
As Asa Briggs wrote in Victorian Cities (the best book on British nineteenth century cities): 'All roads led to Manchester in the 1840s. It was the shock city of the age, and it was as difficult to be neutral about it as it was to be neutral about Chicago in the 1890s or Los Angeles in the 1930s. Chicago forced to the surface ethnic problems, the relations between one linguistic group and another in a national 'melting pot': Manchester forced to the surface problems of 'class' of the relations between rich and poor. If you wanted to learn about 'the true character of the age' you had to go to Manchester to find out 'the truth'.'
You can book on the tour below. Before that I'm delivering a talk under the same title for Manchester Histories Festival at 2pm on Sunday 23 March. It's £5 pp and tickets can be bought here.
For the tour on Saturday 2 August, meet at 3pm at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel. £8. Just turn up and pay on the day.
