Description: John E. Archer examines the diversity of protest from 1780 to 1840. This book covers all forms of protest, including the Gordon Riots of 1780, food riots, Luddism, the radical political reform movement and Peterloo in 1819. It also includes the less well researched anti-enclosure, anti-New Poor Law riots, arson and other forms of "terroristic" action, up to the advent of Chartism in the 1830s. Archer's concise study of popular protest provides a unique perspective on the social history and conditions of this crucial period.
Review Quotes: "The coverage is well balanced and inclusive....In short, this is a valuable, highly readable book that very ably assembles current knowledge, containing original pointers to the way the subject should now develop. I recommend it warmly for all levels of study." Labour