ABSTRACT
The concept of the 'rights of Englishmen' was almost as amorphous as the figure of John Bull, which became more apparent as calls for political reform mounted in late Georgian England. The Bill of Rights plainly stated that 'it is the right of subjects to petition the King,' but this right was not as straightforward as it appeared. In pre-1789 political protest, these two themes of who was thought to have a legitimate right to protest government actions, and what interests these protests reflected, were prominent. Many satires, however, included symbolism connecting such complaints to the traditional rights and freedoms of the British subject. In effect, they suggested that freedom from heavy taxes was part of the rights of Englishmen, and by extension they reflected the expectation that the government should foster general prosperity. The revelations about Castle and Oliver apparently swung public opinion that the threat to the rights of Englishmen originated from the government, not the radical reformers.
