ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the importance of public opinion in the Plowman case and highlights how the regime change had left long-lasting consequences on English society. By analysing the correspondence of the Tuscan ambassador, it shows how the diplomat suffered from ‘culture shock’. It illustrates how the Tuscan ambassador adapted to the new cultural system, understanding its mechanisms of operation. This awareness would allow him to identify a winning strategy in the Plowman case: he understood that the only way to conclude the controversy was to involve English public opinion and to shift the popular consensus to the side of Tuscany. The Tuscan ambassador managed to win the support of the English merchant community both in Livorno and in England. While the first explicitly rebelled, the second submitted several petitions to the government, and started a massive media campaign against the war. The political debate around the Plowman case became incredibly intense, and the merchants went so far as to question the legitimacy of the government and of Queen Anne’s throne.
