Knights, Mark. (1993) London's ‘monster’ petition of 1680. The Historical Journal, Vol.36 (No.1). pp. 39-67. ISSN 0018-246X

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Abstract

The unrest in London during the ‘Exclusion Crisis’ filled Charles II with fear and foreboding of a new civil war. Yet although recent research has highlighted the important role played by the capital's inhabitants in the period, the evidence available for studying the groups of radicals involved has been sketchy and fragmentary. This article uses a new source, in the form of a mass petition, signed by almost 16,000 citizens, which was presented to the king in January 1680. It offers a unique opportunity to measure public opinion during one of the most turbulent periods of the Restoration, and to test assumptions about the character of the opposition to the king. After a discussion of the aims and conduct of the campaign, a prosopographical study of some of the most readily identifiable signatories provides the basis for a detailed examination of the political, religious, geographical, economic and social dimension of the petition. Finally, London's popular reaction to national politics is considered in terms of its effectiveness in altering royal policy, and its impact on the rest of the country.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > History
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Petition, Right of -- Great Britain -- History -- 17th century, Political participation -- Great Britain -- History -- 17th century, Political participation -- London (England) -- History -- 17th century
Journal or Publication Title:	The Historical Journal
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0018-246X
Date:	1993
Volume:	Vol.36
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 39-67
Identification Number:	10.1017/S0018246X00016101
Status:	Peer Reviewed
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/36823

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