The politics of the people in eighteenth-century Britain

This challenging and original study examines the most important aspects of popular political culture in eighteenth-century Britain and attempts to show how the various political activities of the middling and lower orders influenced the decisions of the governing elite. The first part explores the way the British people could influence existing political institutions or could exploit their existing powers, by looking at the role of the people in parliamentary elections, in a wide range of pressure groups, in their local urban communities, and in popular demonstrations. The second part shows how the British people became increasingly politicised during the eighteenth century and how they tried to shape or defend their political world. The sustained and profound debate on the rights of man is investigated, the practical efforts made to educate public opinion and to increase popular participation in public affairs are explored, and so are the popular attempts made to defend the existing constitution.