Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire

Abstract

This research note analyses the responses of second- and third-year undergraduate History students to a survey concerning the legacy and commemoration of the Peterloo Massacre (1819). Students enrolled on ‘The Age of Reform: Britain 1770–1835’ module at Bangor University were asked to complete a questionnaire of open questions on their prior knowledge of Peterloo; their perceptions of the significance of Peterloo; and finally, whether the bicentenary should be commemorated, and if so, how. The study revealed interesting results concerning insights into issues of class and representation, the response of the authorities and government to radicalism, the levels of violence exacted, and the importance of commemoration to remember, educate and inform.