Pamphlets and Politics in the Dutch Republic (Library of the Written Word, 12)

Despite surging interest in early modern pamphlets, political historians of the Dutch Republic, arguably the frontrunner in pamphleteering, have yet to explore their nature and relevance in depth. Rather than treating pamphlets as reflecting public opinion, or dismissing them as political froth, this volume aims to understand pamphlets as political actors in their own right. The articles focus on the function of a pamphlet, the pamphlet as a political actor, and the relationship between pamphlets and public opinion. Articles deal with these questions systematically while chronologically analysing the crucial stages in the history of the Dutch Republic. The result is a fascinating window on Dutch political culture which is relevant for anyone interested in early modern society. Contributors include: Guido de Bruin, Femke Deen, Martin van Gelderen, Craig Harline, Roeland Harms, David Onnekink, Michel Reinders, Koen Stapelbroek, Monica Stensland and Jill Stern.-- Provided by publisher Pamphlets and Politics in the Dutch Republic Copyright Contents Acknowledgements List of Contributors List of Abbreviations Introduction Pamphlets and Politics: Introduction Return to the Land of Blue Little Books Part I: The Pamphlet and its Function Thievery of Literature. Consequences of the Interaction between Politics and Commerce for the Form and Content of Pamphlets Political Pamphleteering and Public Opinion in the Age of De Witt (1653–1672) ‘The Citizens come from all Cities with Petitions’. Printed Petitions and Civic Propaganda in the Seventeenth Century Part II: The Pamphlet as an Historical Actor Poison in Print: Pamphleteering and the Deaths of Concini (1617) and the brothers De Witt (1672) The Revolution in Dutch Foreign Policy (1688) Economic Reform and Neutrality in Dutch Political Pamphlets (1741–1779) Part III: Public Debate and the Media Handwritten Propaganda. Letters and Pamphlets in Amsterdam during the Dutch Revolt (1572–1578) Peace or no Peace? The Role of Pamphleteering in Public Debate in the Run-up to the Twelve-Year Truce Index The Handpress World explores the impact of the invention of printing by moveable type from the first experiments of the incunabula age through to the end of the eighteenth century. In this crucial period of book history the new technology both transformed established markets for scholarly and religious literature and found a new public through the rise of the pamphlet and later the newspaper. The series will investigate every aspect of this cultural transformation, from the promotion in print of the great intellectual movements of the day through to the birth of the public library. Femke Deen) This volume explores the relationship between politics and pamphleteering in the Dutch Republic. By analyzing the political role of pamphlets and their interplay with other media in public debates, the articles provide a new understanding of Dutch political culture.