Modern Europe is one of my favorite periods, especially England's history. I have always been interested in the changes in England and Europe during this era. I find the evolution of Europe from monarchical institutions to democracies or other types of government fascinating.
This dissertation's research interest is early
nineteenth-century England and pertains to a little-known treason plot called
the Cato Street Conspiracy. This event unfolded in the first few weeks of
George IV's reign and ended in the arrest, trial, and execution of men who
planned the death of George IV's cabinet. The group's ultimate goal was to force
a change in government that included causing the end of the monarchy.
Unlike other treasonous plots, such as the Gunpowder Plot of
1603, the Cato Street Conspiracy was forgotten mainly by historians as a topic
for deeper discussion. This plot, however, should not have been ignored by
historians on a large scale because the men who decided there was a need for
change were on a crusade to help the working man.
Arthur Thistlewood led the conspiracy. Thistlewood and his
followers believed they would start a rebellion that would ignite a revolution
enabling the creation of the "'Government of the People of Great Britain,'
taking power out of the hands of Parliament and the landed elite and placing it
into the hands of the people."[1]
The group believed that the Hanoverians had been in power for too long and were
also upset with abuses they believed were perpetrated by members of parliament
and the king's cabinet.[2]
Before their attempted coup, the group was part of a movement
directed by Thomas Spence, a British Radical who advocated for common land
ownership and equality for women. Despite being a slightly enigmatic historical
figure, Spence was closely watched by the government and considered a dangerous
revolutionary during the last eighteen and early nineteenth centuries. Spence wrote
poems, pamphlets, and books on governmental reform and advocated for a peaceful
takeover of power.[3] While he understood that
reversing the enclosure movement of the previous century would be met with
armed resistance by landowners, he believed that violence should be a defensive
measure rather than an offensive one.[4]
However, upon his death in 1814, his followers carried on his
legacy, advocating for change but with a significant shift in their approach:
violence was now seen as a necessary means to an end.[5]
This abrupt change in the group's focus begs the question: What catalyzed the
SSP's transformation into a violent anarchist group? What influenced
Thistlewood and the others to believe armed rebellion was the only avenue to
achieve their goals?
The primary focus of this dissertation will be to examine what
drove the Cato Street Conspiracy to become a violent movement. The Cato Street
Conspiracy occurred during a time of economic instability in England.[6]
After the Napoleonic Wars, Britain went through a recession triggered by two
decades of war, a large crop failure, and deflation caused by the country's
return to the gold standard. This tension within the country led to increased
protests and a call for parliamentary reform. Was the enormity of economic
pressures a factor that influenced the Cato Street conspirators to become
violent? Was
the influence economic or was it the influence of revolutionary actions outside
of Britain?
Another factor that could have influenced the Cato Street Conspiracy
was the influence of the successful American and French Revolutions and the
ideas espoused by Enlightenment writers. Did the violent overthrow of the two
monarchies influence Thistlewood to think that violence was the means to an
end?
This dissertation will examine court documents, personal letters,
government correspondence, newspaper articles, and other archival documents to
discover why the group resorted to violence to achieve its goal. No statistical
analysis is necessary for this dissertation, which will explore primary sources
to discover what reasons the conspirators had to advocate violence.
The methodology for this assignment will be political and
social. As mentioned, the focus of the dissertation will be to discover what prompted
this group to become violent. By studying the political and social atmosphere of
1820s Europe, there should be enough evidence to explain this group's
transformation.
The evidence needed to
answer these questions will come from previously acquired documents as well as
new primary source documents. Both sets of documents will need to be explored
through a different lens than the previous research collected. Rather than
looking at the reasons why the history of the plot disappeared from most
historical discussions, the focus will be on what led to the group's radical
behavior.
In summation, the focus of
this dissertation is to understand why those involved in the Cato Street
Conspiracy went from a pacifist group to one who thought violence was the only
means of achieving its goals of bringing change to the United Kingdom.
The reason that the author
of this dissertation is qualified to answer this question is because they have
spent over twelve years researching this topic. Since the author finished their
initial master's thesis in 2012, they have spent many hours researching this
time period. They find it a fascinating topic because this era is very
transformative for European history. The events of the early nineteenth century
set Europe on a path that would culminate in the First and Second World Wars.
This author is well versed in their knowledge of European history.
[1] Kathleen M. Beeson, "Regency Rabble Rousers: The Impact and Legacy of the Cato Street Conspiracy" (Master's thesis, University of Texas at Arlington, 2012), 1.
[2] Ibid, 13.
[3] Elie Halevy, A History of the English People in the Nineteenth Century: The Liberal Awakening 1815-1830 (London: Benn, 1961).
[5] John Stanhope, The Cato Street Conspiracy.
(London: Alden Press, 1962), 145.
[6] Malcon I. Thomis and
Peter Holt, Threats of Revolution in
Britain 1789-1848 (Hamden: Archon
Books, 1977), 1.
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