This thesis is a study of radical manhood during the English Revolution. It examines different forms of radicalism, including that of soldiers, Levellers, Diggers, Quakers, and Ranters. By examining a plurality of radical sectaries, it acknowledges that, just as there was no one way to be a man in the seventeenth-century, there was no one way to be a radical man. Studying a variety of groups has the added benefit of allowing the thesis to explore radicalism across the period, including the Army Revolt of 1647-49 and Leveller activism in the mid-1640s, through to the spread of the Quaker Movement during the Interregnum. This enables the study of different types of radicalism; from the more formalist radicals who had a defined programme for change, such as the Levellers and the Diggers, to the more individualistic, ecstatic ministries of the Ranters and the Quakers. The thesis makes the case that all of the radical manhoods under discussion are varying forms of alternative manhood, which existed outside of, or in tension with, patriarchal manhood. These manhoods are designated alternative manhoods because they either did not relate to, or had a complicated relationship with, the household. Typical studies of manhood during the early modern period have focused on household patriarchy as the centre of male power and male identity formation; conversely, this thesis discusses alternative manhoods that were not centred on the household. The thesis’s central argument is that independence was a defining feature of manly identities. It has already been demonstrated by historians of manhood that economic independence was an important feature of early modern patriarchal manhood. This thesis argues that, in cases where economic independence was unattainable, independence remained a desirable state. Independence did not have to be economic independence, it could imply agency over actions, or the absence of a relationship of dependence on clerical authorities. Further, the focus on independence allows the thesis to study manhood in areas outside the household, such as politics, the army, and the church. Overall, discussing manhood from the perspective of independence makes it possible to discuss alternative ways that men could achieve full manhood that were unrelated to domestic patriarchy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:744083 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Jacobs, Emma Katherine Mary |
| Publisher | University of Glasgow |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://theses.gla.ac.uk/9111/ |
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