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This book offers a holistic re-evaluation of the Spithead and Nore mutinies of 1797, which immobilised the two Royal Navy fleets responsible for Britain's defence at a time when invasion seemed likely. The mutinies represent two of the most serious manifestations of collective resistance in eighteenth-century Britain, yet they have received relatively little attention in recent historiography. This book challenges the predominant view that the mutinies represented attempts at revolutionary uprising, arguing that the mutineers were instead focused on the mutineers' understanding of 'fairness' and focused on securing appropriate wages. In doing so, it presents an opportunity to scrutinise foundational elements of British society, from notions of reciprocal rights and responsibilities, to relations between the state and individuals.
A major new history of the Royal Navy during the tumultuous age of revolution The French Revolutionary Wars catapulted Britain into a conflict against a new enemy: Republican France. Britain relied on the Royal Navy to protect its shores and empire, but as radical ideas about rights and liberty spread across the globe, it could not prevent the spirit of revolution from reaching its ships. In this insightful history, James Davey tells the story of Britain’s Royal Navy across the turbulent 1790s. As resistance and rebellion swept through the fleets, the navy itself became a political battleground. This was a conflict fought for principles as well as power. Sailors organized riots, strikes, petitions, and mutinies to achieve their goals. These shocking events dominated public discussion, prompting cynical—and sometimes brutal—responses from the government. Tempest uncovers the voices of ordinary sailors to shed new light on Britain’s war with France, as the age of revolution played out at every level of society.
"The papers described in this inventory are housed in the Archives of the Historical Museum in the County Memorial Building in Napanee."--Fore.
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