What rights were the Chartists fighting for?

The Chartist movement, active primarily between 1838 and 1848, emerged during a period of significant social and economic upheaval in Britain. The Industrial Revolution had created a large working class, but political power remained firmly in the hands of the wealthy landowners and industrialists. The Great Reform Act of 1832 had extended the vote, but only to men who owned property of a certain value, leaving the vast majority of the working class excluded. The Chartists, named after the People's Charter of 1838, campaigned for six key demands: universal male suffrage (the right to vote for all men), secret ballots, equal electoral districts, payment for Members of Parliament, annual parliamentary elections, and the abolition of property qualifications for MPs. Their core aim was to give political voice and representation to the working classes and those without property, who were largely ignored by the existing political system. While some of their demands, like payment for MPs, were eventually adopted much later, the Chartists' immediate goal was always about enfranchising the working class. The other options, while important historical issues, weren't the focus of the Chartist movement.