Six Acts

E6915

The Six Acts were a series of repressive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1819 to curb political dissent and public assembly in the wake of the Peterloo Massacre.


Statements (40)
Predicate Object
instanceOf British legislation
series of laws
aimedAt radical reform movement in Britain
appliesToJurisdiction England
Scotland
areaOfLaw criminal law
press law
public order law
country United Kingdom
dateEnacted 1819
effect accelerated legal procedures for political offences
facilitated search and seizure of arms
increased penalties for seditious libel
increased taxation and regulation of newspapers
restricted large public meetings
restricted military training by civilians
hasEffectOn freedom of assembly in the United Kingdom
freedom of the press in the United Kingdom
radical political organizations in Britain
hasPart Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act 1819
Misdemeanours Act 1819
Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act 1819
Seditious Meetings Act 1819
Seizure of Arms Act 1819
Training Prevention Act 1819
historicalContext aftermath of the Peterloo Massacre
language English
legalStatus historical
legislativeBody Parliament of the United Kingdom
locationOfEvent United Kingdom
motivatedByEvent Peterloo Massacre
opposedBy British radicals
parliamentary reformers
politicalOrientation repressive
purpose to curb political dissent
to restrict public assembly
subjectOf historiography of British civil liberties
supportedBy Lord Liverpool ministry
temporalCoverage 19th century
year 1819


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