ABSTRACT
In the late Stuart period, public opinion emerged as a powerful and unpredictable force. At moments such as the Exclusion crisis, the Glorious Revolution and after the Triennial Act of 1694, politicians had to cope with mass demonstrations and expressions of popular political sentiment. 1 Even with its dramatic appearance, it is arguable, especially in comparison with later periods, that popular sentiment had only a limited impact on the way in which the country was run. For much of the period, government was decided by a tight circle dominated by the court and the aristocracy. Indeed, many of the public outcries which did take place were constructed and encouraged by members of the social and political elite, rather than stemming spontaneously from those out-of-doors. However, despite the political dominance of a small class, the secretive and traditional form of politics which they practised was increasingly under attack from a popular print culture which espoused openness, was often critical of government and during periods of acute political crisis was able to influence the way politicians chose to act. Thus on a few notable occasions in the first half of the eighteenth century, popular protests – and newspapers – made a decisive impact on government policy. Moreover, even if popular opinion was sometimes orchestrated or influenced by an elite, the fact that it was useful, appropriate or necessary for them to do so was arguably more significant. Whether ‘genuinely’ extra-parliamentary in origin or sponsored by the political elite, popular opinion 129emerged as an important factor in the nation’s political life and the newspaper press was increasingly associated with the formation and articulation of such sentiment.
