with the ending of the war with france, great britain entered a period of greater economic depression and political uncertainty, characterised by social discontent and unrest. the radical political party published a leaflet called "the political register", also known as "the two penny trash" to its rivals. the so-called march of the blanketeers saw 400 spinners and weavers march from manchester to london in march 1817 to hand the government a petition. the luddites destroyed and damaged machinery in the industrial north-west of england. the peterloo massacre in 1819 began as a protest rally which saw 60,000 people gathering to protest about their living standards, but was quelled by military action and saw eleven people killed and 400 wounded. the cato street conspiracy of 1820 sought to blow up the cabinet and then move on to storm the tower of london and overthrow the government. this too was thwarted, with the conspirators executed or transported to australia.