History: Radicalism During The English Revolution, 1641-1660 With Dr Ariel Hessayon From Goldsmiths, University of London

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We are joined by Dr Ariel Hessayon who examines arguably the most turbulent period in all English history: 1641–1660.

These years were marked by rebellion in Ireland; bloody Civil Wars in Britain; political, religious and social radicalism; regicide; eleven years of republican rule; and the de facto restoration of the monarchy. One would think that by now there is nothing new for historians to learn about the English Revolution, that all the important issues have been resolved.  Yet the opposite is true, for there remains a lack of consensus as to the causes of events, the manner in which some of them occurred and their significance.  Even the name is in dispute.  Moreover, whereas class and ideological conflict once seemed a plausible explanatory tool, it has been a major achievement of the so-called revisionist interpretation of early modern England to shift the emphasis away from tension towards consensus and contingency.

One outcome of this approach has been the attempted marginalisation of radicalism during the English Revolution.  Thus prominent figures within what might be termed the canonical English radical tradition (itself largely a twentieth-century historical construction) have been regarded as unrepresentative of the conforming, traditionalist, uncommitted majority; their extreme opinions apparently advocated for only a brief period of their lives; their influence upon society supposedly exaggerated both by panicked political elites and skilled propagandists preying on fears of property damage or cautioning against introducing religious toleration and its corollary, moral dissolution (abhorrent beliefs begat aberrant behaviour).

Similarly, conventional forms of popular protest such as food, enclosure and tax riots were reduced in scale and scope and drained of radical ideological content.  Instead these incidents were presented as sporadic, uncoordinated, locally specific, largely bloodless and sometimes richly symbolic examples of conservative disorder.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Ariel Hessayon

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Key Stage 5 students (and equivalent) studying or with an interest in studying History and related subjects. We also welcome students from other disciplines with a more general interest in the topic. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome to join with a group from school/college or as individuals.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Suggested pre or post session reading is available HERE. Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying History at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting onto a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

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