Loyalty, Locality and the Nation

In the eighteenth century, new concepts of national identity began emerging. In the process long established local identities were challenged. And nowhere was that more true than Britain. This course explores those challenges, asking just what was meant by the idea of the nation?
Date created:
Course: Further details, online booking
Resources for this course
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One of three contemporary caricatures (cartoons) shown here offering satirical insights into the American conflict. In this print America... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The second of three cartoons on Britain and the American Revolution This cartoon has a very different tone from the previous one. It shows... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The third of three cartoons on Britain and the American revolutionary movement This print also takes a Tory approach to the conflict, in... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Free-born Britons in America? Connecticut Resolutions, 1765 |
Contemporary American documents from: The Avalon Project, Yale Law School These extracts give us a great insight into the mindset of... |
Kate Watson | view |
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A Nation in Embryo? Paine on Freedom & Tyranny |
These extracts, from the first in a series of pamphlets written by Thomas Paine between 1776 and 1783, really illustrate Paine's political... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Nation Making, French Revolutionary Style: What is the Third Estate? |
These extracts, from one of the key early pamphlets of the French Revolution, represent one of the first attempts to define the nation in a modern... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Over 200 years on the Revolution continues to influence and impact most notably in our conception of the modern nation-state - as can clearly be... |
Kate Watson | view |
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A Nation in Danger? The New World fears for the Old |
The theme of the potential dangers of a second wave revolution was also picked up on in America – whose own revolution was far more consistently... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Burke the Prophet?: Reflections on the French Revolution |
Interestingly it was Burke however who was the first to go public with his fears, in 1790. And his early warning of the dangers of French... |
Kate Watson | view |
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In this remarkable cartoon, published weeks before the collapse of constitutional monarchy in France, King George III is shown examining a... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Infamous and striking print by English artist, James Gillray. It portrays the September Massacres, 1792, which heralded the beginning of the... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Nationalism: A Brief Exploration |
A brief guide to Nationalism: some key themes and issues |
Kate Watson | view |
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Tom Paine |
Essay on Thomas Paine and his legacy (BBC) |
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Edmund Burke |
Radio Broadcast on Edmund Burke and his legacy (BBC Radio) |
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French Declaration of Rights of Man |
French Declaration of Rights (Avalon Project, Yale Law School)
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Declaration of Independence |
American Declaration of Independence (Avalon Project, Yale Law School)
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James Gillray Collection |
French National Library collection with over 40 images of Gillray caricatures related to the French Revolution.
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Gillray Biog |
Relatively short but useful pocket biography of James Gillray, one of Britain's greatest ever socio-political caricaturists, with some insightful... |
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Liberty, Licentiousness & the Law |
Extracts from a Charge to a Grand Jury in 1792, illustrating the wide ranging cultural effects of French Terror - and indeed British anti-Terror... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The State of Local Government |
A brief overview of Local Government and its Idiosyncrasies |
Kate Watson | view |
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Government & the Fear of 'French Principles' |
A brief extract from am inter-governmental letter illustrating early British fears about the potential appeal of French-style radicalism |
Kate Watson | view |
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Anti-Terror Measures & Parliamentary Concerns |
An extract from a House of Commons speech by an M.P. offering critical observations on government anti-Terror measures - note the ironic... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Volunteer Songs |
An extract from a Local Volunteer song, clearly designed to whip up patriotic support. |
Kate Watson | view |
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Loyalty & its Limits? |
Two documents relating to Local Volunteer movements during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Period. Note the highly localised nature of these... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Local Government & Volunteering |
Two documents related to Local Government and its role in Volunteer movements, both from Birmingham - something of a hot bed of local politics... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Central Government & Volunteering |
Extracts from government correspondence discussing the potential, and indeed pitfalls, of local volunteer initatives. Note the central dilemma the... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The Volunteer Movement Generally |
An excellent article on Volunteer Movements in England throughout the period , by J.E. Cookson, which originally appeared in the Historical... |
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Wilkes & The Power of Words |
The emerging power of the press, and the media generally, really began to show itself however in the 1760s, thanks to the work of this man –... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The print shown here, The World Turned Upside Down, comes from the English Civil War period and is a good early example of political comment in... |
Kate Watson | view |
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This Gillray print is one of many which satirised the King in the 1790s, on this occasion rather mockingly referrring to his widely imagined... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The Local Press |
These extracts from the Hampshire Chronicle illustrate the sheer range of interests to be found at times in the local press, from grand national... |
Kate Watson | view |
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British Caricatures & the French Revolution |
This link takes you to an excellent French website with a wide selection of English caricatures of the French Revolution including several by... |
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Pamphlets & Hannah More |
Hannah More was one of the leading contributors to the loyalist pamphlet campaign of the 1790s. This document contains an image of the front cover... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Pamphlets & Local Identity |
Whilst many loyalist pamphlets made a general appeal to loyalty on the grounds of nationalism or patriotism, others specifically made use of local... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Pamphlets & Patriotism |
Loyalist propaganda was carefully targeted at times to appeal to specific groups or interests. In these two examples History & Gender appear... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The London Corresponding Society |
Unsurprisingly the Paineite London Corresponding Society came under frequent attack for its allegedly radical aims. Here we see one of... |
Kate Watson | view |
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Contemporary Views on Paine |
And here two contrasting contemporary views on Paine, from very different ends of the political spectrum. |
Kate Watson | view |
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Paineite Radicalism |
Publication of Paine’s Rights of Man in 1791, in response to Burke’s Reflections, compounded the general sense of unease a notch more, as Paine’s... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The royal family was far from revered for much of the Georgian period, as epitomised here in this satire on the (temporary) reconciliation of the... |
Kate Watson | view |
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The Regency Debate |
Concerns about the King’s sanity had long surrounded George III and led to fierce rivalry between the pro and anti King factions, including... |
Kate Watson | view |