1820 - The Radical War
The Scottish Radicals of the 1790s and 1820 are
not forgotten, despite the best attempts of the State to rewrite or hide
our history.
Many of the communities around Glasgow in the 1790s were
literate and given to meeting and discussing politics and social conditions.
Inspired by the American Revolution and the principles of representative
Government they would have been discussing Robert Burns and Tom Paine,and found
insights into the 'Rights of Man' and the principles of the French Revolution
(Liberty, Equality, Fraternity).
Documents and publications publicising
the principles and objectives of the Revolutions would have been distributed,
and in 1793, Thomas Fysshe Palmer, a Unitarian minister was given 7 years
transportation for preparing and distributing such tracts.
Unrest
continued, and in 1798 George Mealmaker a member of the underground
organisations 'The Friends of Liberty' and 'The United Scotsmen' was transported
for 14 years, for 'planning to establish a Republican Government'.
In
1812 a nine week widespread strike by weavers alarmed the authorities enough to
set up a network of spies and informers to ward off any reformist
revival.
In 1819, a reform meeting in Manchester was dispersed by
military force and the deaths at 'Peterloo' provoked demonstrations in Scotland.
Rioting in Paisley resulted in the use of cavalry to control some 5000 of these
'Radicals', as they became known.
The government through its agents,
became aware of plans to establish a Provisional Government, separate
Scotland from England and restore a Scottish Parliament. The government then
had the Committee arrested. This was kept secret from the Committee's supporters
and agents, who were then manipulated into open rebellion in the belief that the
day of liberty had come, where (like the Covenanters of the 1670s) they were
identified and crushed.
Acting in such a way the governments agent
provocateurs identified the reformers and following marches at Strathaven
and Stirling, dealt with them. Such action provoked widespread anger and crowds
in Greenock succeeded, after several casualties, in freeing some of the arrested
radicals.
They were however recaptured and stood trial for
treason.
Executed:
James Wilson - hung and beheaded, Glasgow
Green, 30 Aug 1820
John Baird - hung and beheaded, Stirling, 8 Sep
1820
Andrew Hardie - hung and beheaded, Stirling, 8 Sep
1820
Originally sentenced to death, but subsequently commuted to
transportation to New South Wales were:
John Anderson, John Barr, William
Clackson or Clarkson, James Clelland, Andrew Dawson, Robert Gray, Alexander
Hart, Alexander Johnson, Alexander Latimer, Thomas McCulloch, Thomas McFarlane,
John McMillan, Benjamin Moir, Allan Murchie, Thomas Pike or Pink, William Smith,
David Thompson, Andrew White and James Wright
There is a full and
detailed account of the The 1820 Rising in James Halliday's book, available from
Scots Independent Newspapers.
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