Debating England's Aristocracy in the 1790s

Download or read book Debating England's Aristocracy in the 1790s written by Amanda Goodrich and published by Boydell & Brewer Ltd. This book was released on 2005 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1790s saw a lively "French Revolution Debate" in England, with much space and intellectual energy, in classic texts by men such as Burke and Paine, and ensuing pamphlet literature, devoted characterisations and representations of the aristocracy; yet this is the first full-scale survey of the subject. Dr Goodrich takes a fresh approach to the topic, illustrating the complexities of the bitter battle fought out in such texts between radicals and loyalists, and highlighting the persistent viciousness and vitriol of a radical anti-aristocratic rhetoric. However, she demonstrates that the loyalist response contained the more innovative campaign, bringing out in particular the development of a commercial loyalism which promoted a new model of society with a modern aristocracy and an open elite; what emerges are English defences of aristocracy which are not simply reducible to ideas of an ancien régime or a Gothic institution. Amanda Goodrich is a lecturer in the history department of the Open University.