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Leveller Movement
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The Leveller movement failed because of the several factors mentioned above. They had tried to work through a parliament which was ultimately unsympathetic and suspicious of the movement, its leaders and its political aspirations. It was a parliament deeply uneasy with any break with the Crown, nurturing as it did for much of the 1640s a hope for a rapprochement with the king. And when the break did come, with the execution of Charles Stuart, Leveller views were still seen as too radical for the English body politic under Cromwell, a man more concerned, at that stage at least, with the nature of political power than with political philosophy. It was this growing gulf between the Levellers and the government of the Commonwealth which saw a stepping-up in the extra-parliamentary activity such as the political propaganda petition which was the hallmark of the movement. It would lead ultimately to the advocacy of armed struggle against what was perceived as an illegitimate authority.
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The Levellers started as a propaganda group and transformed themselves into a party as their mass influence extended and the revolutionary movement mounted. They were the first popular revolutionary party in English history, playing a role comparable to that of the Sons of Liberty in the First American Revolution. They were essentially a party of mass action. Like Tom Paine, their leaders addressed themselves first and foremost to the common people, educating, arousing, guiding and organizing them for direct intervention on the key questions of the hour.
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In 1649, when issues surrounding the Leveller movement were at a head, Rainborowe was removed from command. He would be recommended for promotion twice in the 1650's, and each time the recommendation would be overruled by the government. He hosted Ranters meetings, and he was arrested for paying for the publication of Laurence Clarkson's The Single Eye (1650). During the 1650's, Rainborowe put his religious and political views into economic action. He purchased ecclesiastical lands, and he purchased the formerly crown estate of Highams Park. Rainborowe's wealth was extensive, for the estate was sold for ₤5,498 in 1654.
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The Shays Rebellion indeed represented the American Leveller movement. The farmer rebels stood for democracy, for free land, for greater equality. They resisted the burdens of the war which were being foisted on their backs. The debt of Massachusetts, which had been about one hundred thousand pounds before the Revolution, had risen to almost three million pounds, of which around two hundred and fifty thousand was owing to the Soldiers. (*29) Not only had the soldiers been paid in worthless currency (later redeemed in full when it had passed into the hands of unscrupulous speculators), but many had lost their farms and livelihood. On the other hand, every effort had been made so that the wealthy could monopolize the rewards of success in the war.
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THE LEVELLERS: A CHRONOLOGY AND BIBLIOGRAPHY By Roderick Moore The members of the political movement known to history as the Levellers were active for four years in the 1640s, during the English Civil War. They were far ahead of their time in their political thinking, and they may justly be called the first libertarians in the world. There is an extensive literature about them, but most of it has been written by socialists, and some of the most highly regarded authorities are Marxists, so the reader can easily gain a false impression of what the movement stood for. This Study Guide is designed to direct students of history to the most reliable sources of information on the Levellers, and ... to indicate where some of the Levellers' own writings can be found reprinted, so that they can be judged by their own words rather than by the distortions of socialist historians. At a time when our national independence is threatened by the advance of federalism, it is more important than ever for us to be conscious of our political heritage, and the Levellers are a crucial part of this heritage which should not be neglected. Study Guide No. 4 ISSN 0267-7180 ISBN 1 85637 256 1 An occasional publication of the Libertarian Alliance, 25 Chapter Chambers, Esterbrooke Street, London SW1P 4NN.
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Richard Overton was a key member of the Leveller movement in the 1640s; he was a gifted satirist and pamphleteer. The centrepiece of his writing, the Martin Marpriest tracts, deserve an honoured place in the history of seventeenth century prose for their energy and humour. In his work jointly authored with other Leveller leaders Overton is ... a political thinker of some originality
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Leveller Movement