Talking about Peterloo: Manifold Oratory Speeches during the Romantic Period

The Romantic era heralded a new age of rhetoric in which the spoken word was cultivated into a truly eloquent form: the art of oratory. Such forms of expression – used both within and beyond the realm of parliamentary debates – were frequently adopted by radical speakers, who sought to promote freedom of speech and advocated for the working class to be granted more rights. At a time when the English government imposed strict censorship measures on the people, the art of oratory became a powerful tool of resistance, especially for radicals, Dissenters, intellectuals and activists. In this article, I discuss the rhetorical strategies that were employed by three types of orators from different social classes: politicians, female activists, and radicals from the Midlands. All of these figures played crucial roles in influencing public opinion both before and during the ‘Peterloo Massacre’. In fact, the rhetorical strategies and symbols used by orators at St. Peter’s field are still pertinent today. Many of these hallmarks of oratory can be discerned in the speeches that are delivered to modern audiences. Most notably, such rhetorical devices are still used by protesters and campaigners on an international scale in order to effect social change and to combat social inequality.