Those people who have studied the English Civil War and the conflicts associated with it should be familiar with the Levellers, and the name Richard Overton. These radicals, whose democratic views were based on their understanding of Christianity, were one of the world's first political parties. Their name continues to echo down through history, still influencing politics to this day.
Overton himself found fame as a writer of tracts and pamphlets, which were produced in great numbers in the feverish political atmosphere of the late 1640s. The period around the English Civil War, which spread to Scotland and Ireland during the 1640s, was a controversial and stormy period in Britain, which saw the execution of King Charles I, in 1649, and the rise to power of Oliver Cromwell. In this febrile atmosphere, the Levellers became well-known in 1648 and 1649.
Although by 1650 the Levellers were, to all intents and purposes, finished as meaningful political force, their fame still persists today, especially among political groups with left-wing persuasions. Many would describe the Levellers as one of the world's first political parties, as they wore sea-green ribbons to show their loyalties, and campaigned using pamphlets and petitions. Overton was prominent in the movement as the writer of many of these pamphlets.
The word 'Leveller' was first heard in the early years of the 17th century, when rural rebels who 'levelled' hedges in protest against enclosures were disparaged with the term. In the 1640s, the term Leveller came to be associated with a New Model Army faction who were accused of planning the assassination of Charles I. Richard Overton, John Lilburne and William Walwyn were among the most prominent of the people who were known as Levellers.
The political demands that the Levellers made seem somewhat tame to modern eyes, but they were considered very radical indeed by the standards of the 17th century. Concepts such as the vote for all adult males, parliamentary reform to eradicate corruption, Parliament to be elected every couple of years, and the abolition of imprisonment as a punishment for debt, all formed part of their program. They were also in favor of religious toleration, which had continued to be controversial during the 17th century.
There were different strains of opinion within the Levellers about the exact nature of their demands, but, in general, they agreed with Overton's argument that liberty was right for every person. Some felt that the natural liberties of the English had been oppressed since the Norman Conquest. Others took their inspiration from the words of the Bible.
The forces of the government, with Oliver Cromwell to the fore, did not tolerate the Levellers for long. A mutiny amongst some New Model Army units was brutally crushed, with some ringleaders shot, while political leaders like Walwyn and Lilburne were put in prison. Many of the Levellers' demands would later come into law, in England and across the world.
The eventual fate of Richard Overton is obscure, though he is mentioned in some documents again over the next two decades after the Levellers' demise. He spent some time in prison, and abroad. He is also believed to have been a spy for Cromwell, and later Charles II.
Overton himself found fame as a writer of tracts and pamphlets, which were produced in great numbers in the feverish political atmosphere of the late 1640s. The period around the English Civil War, which spread to Scotland and Ireland during the 1640s, was a controversial and stormy period in Britain, which saw the execution of King Charles I, in 1649, and the rise to power of Oliver Cromwell. In this febrile atmosphere, the Levellers became well-known in 1648 and 1649.
Although by 1650 the Levellers were, to all intents and purposes, finished as meaningful political force, their fame still persists today, especially among political groups with left-wing persuasions. Many would describe the Levellers as one of the world's first political parties, as they wore sea-green ribbons to show their loyalties, and campaigned using pamphlets and petitions. Overton was prominent in the movement as the writer of many of these pamphlets.
The word 'Leveller' was first heard in the early years of the 17th century, when rural rebels who 'levelled' hedges in protest against enclosures were disparaged with the term. In the 1640s, the term Leveller came to be associated with a New Model Army faction who were accused of planning the assassination of Charles I. Richard Overton, John Lilburne and William Walwyn were among the most prominent of the people who were known as Levellers.
The political demands that the Levellers made seem somewhat tame to modern eyes, but they were considered very radical indeed by the standards of the 17th century. Concepts such as the vote for all adult males, parliamentary reform to eradicate corruption, Parliament to be elected every couple of years, and the abolition of imprisonment as a punishment for debt, all formed part of their program. They were also in favor of religious toleration, which had continued to be controversial during the 17th century.
There were different strains of opinion within the Levellers about the exact nature of their demands, but, in general, they agreed with Overton's argument that liberty was right for every person. Some felt that the natural liberties of the English had been oppressed since the Norman Conquest. Others took their inspiration from the words of the Bible.
The forces of the government, with Oliver Cromwell to the fore, did not tolerate the Levellers for long. A mutiny amongst some New Model Army units was brutally crushed, with some ringleaders shot, while political leaders like Walwyn and Lilburne were put in prison. Many of the Levellers' demands would later come into law, in England and across the world.
The eventual fate of Richard Overton is obscure, though he is mentioned in some documents again over the next two decades after the Levellers' demise. He spent some time in prison, and abroad. He is also believed to have been a spy for Cromwell, and later Charles II.
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