The Peterloo Massacre has been called one of the defining moments of its age.

"The 'Massacre of Peterloo' was one of the sad aftermaths of the Napoleonic War... this tract supplies all essential details and authorities." - The Scottish Historical Review, 1920

In 1919, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Peterloo, Francis Archibald Bruton (1860-1929) published "The Story of Peterloo," which relates the true story of Peterloo.

Peterloo" is also the title of an upcoming British historical drama movie set to released in November 2018 in time to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the notorious Peterloo Massacre.

On 16th August 1819, a crowd of some 60,000 people from Manchester and surrounding towns gathered in St Peter's Fields to demand Parliamentary reform and an extension of voting rights. The meeting had been peaceful but in the attempt to arrest a leader of the meeting the armed government militias panicked and charged upon the crowd. The toll of casualties has always been disputed, but as many as 15 people were killed and up to 700 wounded. The immediate effect of the massacre was a crackdown on reform, as the authorities feared the country was heading towards armed rebellion. However, the outcry led to the founding of the Manchester Guardian and played a significant role in the passage through Parliament of the Great Reform Act 13 years later.

As noted, "Peterloo" is the title of an upcoming British historical drama directed and written by Mike Leigh based on the events of Waterloo. The movie Peterloo will mark the 200th anniversary of the notorious Peterloo Massacre. The film was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival. The film is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2018, by Entertainment One and in the United States on 9 November 2018, by Amazon Studios.