St Peter's Field

St Peter's Field is located in Mancherster, England. It has since been renamed to St Peter's Square (not to be confused with St Peter's Square in Vatican City). It will be called St Peter's Field here on out.The most notable thing that happened here was the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. This event, that started as a protest, was sparked by a low economy. Food prices were high and there was an industrial depression. The workers wanted the right to vote. At the end of the fighting 9-17 people were killed (the number left dead is debated by many scholars) and hundreds were injured. Even though it only lasted ten minutes, it is known as one of the most gruesome scenes of that era, granting St Peter's Field a place in history. Over time, this massacre led to the citizens receiving the right to vote.

Sources:

“Peterloo Massacre.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/event/Peterloo-Massacre.

St Peter's Square, Manchester. 4 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Square,_Manchester.

Parent Map

Romantic Tensions: A Map

Coordinates

Latitude: 53.478290700000
Longitude: -2.243363400000

Timeline of Events Associated with St Peter's Field

Date Event Manage
16 Aug 1819

Peterloo massacre

print depicting the Peterloo MassacreOn 16 August 1819, at St. Peter’s Field, Manchester, more than 60,000 workers gathered to demonstrate in favor of an expansion of suffrage in England. In an attempt to disperse the crowd and arrest the organizers of the demonstration, local cavalry and members of the 15th Hussars and 88th Foot attacked the crowd, killing a dozen protestors and injuring as many as 600. Though Wellington was not involved, the incident was dubbed “Peterloo” because of his persistent opposition to reform in the House of Lords. Image: Richard Carlisle, To Henry Hunt, Esq., as chairman of the emeeting assembled in St. Peter's Field, Manchester, sixteenth day of August, 1819, and to the female Reformers of Manchester and the adjacent towns who were exposed to and suffered from the wanton and fiendish attack made on them by that brutal armed force, the Manchester and Cheshire Yeomanry Cavalry, this plate is dedicated by their fellow labourer, Richard Carlile: a coloured engraving that depicts the Peterloo Massacre (1 October 1819), Manchester Library Services. This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired.

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