Source A A woodcut print from 1646, ‘The world turned upside down’ showing the social upheaval of the Civil War
Between 1647 and 1649 a wave of radical religious and political ideas were expressed by preachers, printers and soldiers and a diverse range of arguments and opinions were heard. Cities like London and Bristol were alive with political debate and the authority of Parliament was called into question in ways that had seemed inconceivable at the end of the First Civil War in 1646.
This article examines the most prominent radical groupings — the Levellers and the Diggers — and the issue that was central to their protests and actions, the ownership of property and the rights it conferred. It will also examine the motivations of other groups: the Fifth Monarchists, Ranters and Quakers.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
