In a climate of government reaction to growing trade union agitation, six farm workers in the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset were arrested for administering unlawful oaths and sentenced to seven years’ transportation in Australia. In fact, their real offence was to establish a branch of a trade union, the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers, as was their lawful right following the repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824. The workers became socialist martyrs. There were large demonstrations in their support led by the Chartists and eventually, in March 1836, their sentences were remitted.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Tolpuddle Martyrs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4732, accessed 23 November 2024.]
