Our collection of articles, records and reviews about the Chartist Movement and Thomas Paine.
The writings, thoughts and indeed the eventful life of Thomas Paine regularly leaves an indelible mark upon a significant number of us who have lived after him. He challenges and excites the receptive just as much as he can infuriate those who have already made their minds up.
Royle attempts to answer the question why there was no revolution? He looks at the nature of the popular movements arguing that their leaders knew both their own limits and those of their followers. He further argues that the revolutionaries were always in the minority.
BOOK REVIEW: Revolutionary Britannia? Reflections On The Threat Of Revolution In Britain Read Post »
Two centuries after its publication, The Age of Reason remains necessary reading for freethinkers and radicals. And we should never forget those such as Carlile who strove and suffered to make it available when to do so was extremely dangerous.
Although Charles Sutton preferred to restrict his political opinions anonymously to the pages of his paper, his few separately published essays being religious in character, John Blackner was never one to conceal his, and his outspokenness was to damn his reputation.
John Blackner And The Suttons, An Episode In Nottingham’s Political History Read Post »
This pamphlet makes a stimulating and informative read. Harney is known to have held Paine’s memory in high regard and may even have been one of the Chartists who influenced the movement to reprint and publish their own edition of Rights of Man.
BOOK REVIEW: Deptford’s Red Republican, George Julian Harney Read Post »
This well produced book brings together the most important of Spence’s political writings, though consideration of his attempts to promote some of his ideas through the use of political tokens is largely ignored.
BOOK REVIEW: The Political Works Of Thomas Spence Read Post »
Basically, like all the greatest writers on liberty, Paine was a humanitarian. Freedom, in Paine’s view, could not be dissociated from political morality, and he sounded a warning note which still carries a message.
David Vincent in his introduction refers to the quite unprecedented circulation in the 1790s of Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man. Its dangerous truth; in explaining the corrupt state of the British government.
BOOK REVIEW: Testaments Of Radicalism Of Working Class Politicians Read Post »
Once the War of Independence was ended no other English emigrant who had fought in the War, to my knowledge, was accused of being a “traitor” to his country of origin. But Paine was a dangerous political writer and the ‘traitor” myth is maintained.
Both of the studies reviewed heroes I found very interesting and they are no doubt of considerable value. Hamburger’s study lends itself to consistent arguementatIon, far more easily than does that of Miss Hollis’s and therefore I suppose one is inclined to consider it the more readable.
BOOK REVIEW: A Study in Working Class Radicalism in the 1830s Read Post »
Some readers may object to the bias shown to the Chartists. Yet if a bias is present it in no way detracts from the value of the work, this, as the author clearly states, is not a “King history” but is concerned with the struggles of ordinary men and women.
The principal event held to date to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the publication of Rights of Man has been the exhibition organised jointly by the Nottingham Co-operative Society, Private Libraries Association and the Thomas Paine Society at the Co-operative Arts Centre, Nottingham.
