Making English Morals: Voluntary Association and Moral Reform in England, 1787–1886 (Cambridge Social and Cultural Histories, Series Number 2)

Campaigns for moral reform were a recurrent and distinctive feature of public life in later Georgian and Victorian England. Antislavery, temperance, charity organisation, cruelty prevention, ‘social purity’ advocates and more – all promoted their causes through the mobilisation of citizen volunteer support. This book sets out to explore the world of these volunteer networks, their foci of concern, their patterns of recruitment, their methods of operation, and the responses they aroused. In its exploration of this culture of self-consciously altruistic associational effort, the book provides the first systematic survey of moral reform movements as a distinct tradition of citizen action over the period, as well as casting light on the formation of a middle-class culture torn, in this stage of economic and political nation-building, between acceptance of a market-organised society and unease about the cultural consequences of doing so. This is a revelatory book that is both compelling and accessible. Half-title......Page 2 Series-title......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Organisations......Page 13 Sources and publications......Page 14 Moral reform identified......Page 16 Perspectives on moral reform......Page 19 Moral reform, altruism and the public sphere......Page 29 William Wilberforce, 28 October 1787......Page 32 Precedents......Page 34 A new sense of urgency: the moral crisis of the 1780s......Page 39 The moral reform project of the 1780s: leaders, motives, networks......Page 48 Assisting the magistrate: reform from above and its limits......Page 63 Dimensions of wartime moral anxiety......Page 74 From Bettering Society to Society for the Suppression of Vice......Page 78 Religion, region and rank: patterns of wartime mobilisation......Page 86 A new urban leadership......Page 92 Moral reform and its critics in an age of crisis management......Page 100 Restoration versus renovation: contexts of post-war concern......Page 111 Reclaiming the metropolis: London 1815–1820......Page 116 Animals and antislavery: the symbolic politics of the 1820s......Page 124 Morals, markets and Protestantism, 1828–1834......Page 129 Evangelicalism unleashed: moral reform leaders after 1815......Page 134 Law-making and law enforcement in the age of antislavery......Page 147 State, society and moral reform in an age of free trade......Page 158 Temperance and working-class self-help: moral reform projects of the 1830s......Page 163 Moral reform and the ‘condition of England’ question......Page 171 Protestantism, pure literature and prohibition: moral reform at mid-century......Page 179 Leaders: the age of Livesey and Shaftesbury......Page 186 Critics: moral reform and English liberties......Page 198 In search of ‘progressive improvement’: contexts of mid-Victorian moral reform......Page 208 Moral reform in a decade of democracy deferred......Page 214 1867: reform, voluntarism and the moral duties of citizenship......Page 221 Backlash: the campaign against the Contagious Diseases Acts and the reassertion of moral individualism......Page 228 Privilege vindicated, privilege challenged: moral reform leaders in the age of Josephine Butler......Page 236 Dilemmas of self-help: individualism and the ties of community......Page 250 6 The late Victorian crisis of moral reform: the 1880s and after......Page 260 Moral reform stalled: temperance and charity organisation......Page 261 Moral reform refired: social purity......Page 265 Moral reform triumphant: volunteer mobilisation and the passing of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885......Page 278 A tradition in retreat? Moral reform after 1885......Page 287 A public sphere transformed: late nineteenth-century contexts of adaptation and decline......Page 296 Conclusion......Page 305 MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS......Page 314 VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES: REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS......Page 315 NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALS......Page 317 PRINTED PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 318 UNPUBLISHED THESES......Page 320 BOOKS AND ARTICLES......Page 321 Index......Page 328 ISBN-13: 9780521833899 Half-title 2 Series-title 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 11 Abbreviations 13 Organisations 13 Sources and publications 14 Introduction 16 Moral reform identified 16 Perspectives on moral reform 19 Moral reform, altruism and the public sphere 29 1 Moral reform in the 1780s: the making of an agenda 32 William Wilberforce, 28 October 1787 32 Precedents 34 A new sense of urgency: the moral crisis of the 1780s 39 The moral reform project of the 1780s: leaders, motives, networks 48 Assisting the magistrate: reform from above and its limits 63 2 ‘The best means of national safety’: moral reform in wartime, 1795–1815 74 Dimensions of wartime moral anxiety 74 From Bettering Society to Society for the Suppression of Vice 78 Religion, region and rank: patterns of wartime mobilisation 86 A new urban leadership 92 Moral reform and its critics in an age of crisis management 100 3 Taming the masses, 1815–1834 111 Restoration versus renovation: contexts of post-war concern 111 Reclaiming the metropolis: London 1815–1820 116 Animals and antislavery: the symbolic politics of the 1820s 124 Morals, markets and Protestantism, 1828–1834 129 Evangelicalism unleashed: moral reform leaders after 1815 134 Law-making and law enforcement in the age of antislavery 147 4 From social control to self-control, 1834–1857 158 State, society and moral reform in an age of free trade 158 Temperance and working-class self-help: moral reform projects of the 1830s 163 Moral reform and the ‘condition of England’ question 171 Protestantism, pure literature and prohibition: moral reform at mid-century 179 Leaders: the age of Livesey and Shaftesbury 186 Critics: moral reform and English liberties 198 5 Moral individualism: the renewal and reappraisal of an ideal, 1857–1880 208 In search of ‘progressive improvement’: contexts of mid-Victorian moral reform 208 Moral reform in a decade of democracy deferred 214 1867: reform, voluntarism and the moral duties of citizenship 221 Backlash: the campaign against the Contagious Diseases Acts and the reassertion of moral individualism 228 Privilege vindicated, privilege challenged: moral reform leaders in the age of Josephine Butler 236 Dilemmas of self-help: individualism and the ties of community 250 6 The late Victorian crisis of moral reform: the 1880s and after 260 Moral reform stalled: temperance and charity organisation 261 Moral reform refired: social purity 265 Moral reform triumphant: volunteer mobilisation and the passing of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885 278 A tradition in retreat? Moral reform after 1885 287 A public sphere transformed: late nineteenth-century contexts of adaptation and decline 296 Conclusion 305 Select bibliography 314 PRIMARY SOURCES 314 MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS 314 OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS 315 VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES: REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS 315 NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALS 317 PRINTED PRIMARY SOURCES 318 SECONDARY SOURCES 320 UNPUBLISHED THESES 320 BOOKS AND ARTICLES 321 Index 328 Campaigns For Moral Reform Were A Recurrent And Distinctive Feature Of Public Life In Later Georgian And Victorian England. Antislavery, Temperance, Charity Organisation, Cruelty Prevention, 'social Purity' Advocates, And More - All Promoted Their Causes Through Mobilisation Of Citizen Volunteer Support. This Book Sets Out To Explore The World Of These Volunteer Networks, Their Foci Of Concern, Their Patterns Of Recruitment, Their Methods Of Operation, And The Responses They Aroused. In Its Exploration Of This Culture Of Self-consciously Altruistic Associational Effort, The Book Provides The First Systematic Survey Of Moral Reform Movements As A Distinct Tradition Of Citizen Action Over The Period, As Well As Casting Light On The Formation Of A Middle-class Culture Torn, In This Stage Of Economic And Political Nation-building, Between Accepting A Market-organised Society And Unease About The Cultural Consequences Of Doing So.--jacket. Moral Reform In The 1780s: The Making Of An Agenda -- The Best Means Of National Safety : Moral Reform In Wartime, 1795-1815 -- Taming The Masses, 1815-1834 -- From Social Control To Self-control, 1834-1857 -- Moral Individualism: The Renewal And Reappraisal Of An Ideal, 1857-1880 -- The Late Victorian Crisis Of Moral Reform: The 1880s And After. M.j.d. Roberts. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Campaigns for moral reform were a recurrent and distinctive feature of public life in later Georgian and Victorian England. Anti-slavery, temperance, charity organisation, cruelty prevention, 'social purity' advocates, and more, all promoted their causes through mobilisation of citizen volunteer support. This 2004 book sets out to explore the world of these volunteer networks, their foci of concern, their patterns of recruitment, their methods of operation and the responses they aroused. In its exploration of this culture of self-consciously altruistic associational effort, the book provides a systematic survey of moral reform movements as a distinct tradition of citizen action over this period, as well as casting light on the formation of a middle-class culture torn, in this stage of economic and political nation-building, between acceptance of a market-organised society and unease about the cultural consequences of doing so. This is a revelatory book that is both compelling and accessible. Campaigns for moral reform were a recurrent and distinctive feature of public life in later Georgian and Victorian England. Anti-slavery, temperance, charity, cruelty prevention and "social purity" advocates promoted their causes through mobilization of citizen volunteer support. M.J.D. Roberts explores the world of these volunteer networkstheir concerns, patterns of recruitment, methods of operation, and responses arousedto provide an accessible period survey of moral reform.