Events Archive - Page 46 of 56 - Bristol Radical History Group

Suffragette!

They Fought for it, They Starved for it: THE VOTE Using visual sources Dawn Dyer charts the struggle for Women's Suffrage in Bristol and the South West Votes for Ladies: The Suffragette Movement 1903-1914 An examination of the established narrative of the struggle for the enfranchisement of women. Anny Cullum critiques the composition and outlook of this iconic movement from a class perspective. Anny Cullum is daughter of Dave and a ledgend in her own life time. Dawn Dyer is a librarian at […]

Opening The Archives

Your chance to view primary source material related to the struggle for democracy in the Bristol Room of the Central Reference Library. Hosted by the knowledgeable and helpful archivists Dawn Dyer and Jane Bradley. French Revolution - contemporary views. Orator Hunt broadsides. Reform dinner 1831 illustrations. Justice - the organ of social democracy 1884-1887 - national and international news re. trade unions, anarchy etc. Bristol Socialist Society special collection c.1900. Original Cartoons […]

How Protest And Riot Won Working Men The Vote

There were three main phases of extension to the male franchise in the 19th Century. The '‘Great Reform' of 1832 was preceded by a period of intense unrest in Western Europe. Roger Ball considers the impact these various social and political movements had upon the British ruling class and the first extension of the franchise. Dave Cullum analyses the popular pressure which led to the later Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884. Roger Ball is an Easton Cowboy and a West Ham United fan. He has bored his […]

Thomas Spence The Forgotten Revolutionary

Thomas Spence was one of the leading English revolutionaries of the late 18th Century. His tracts, such as The Rights of Man (Spence was, perhaps, the first to use the phrase) and The Rights of Infants, along with his utopian visions of 'Crusonia' and 'Spensonia', were the most far-reaching radical statements of the period. Although sometimes hailed as England's 'first modern socialist', Spence is not easily corralled by later ideologies. He was a mortal enemy of tyranny and what he called […]

Mills & Bone Subverting Democracy

Ian Bone relates his experiences of contemporary interventions into the electoral process including The Alarm the Swansea based forerunner of The Bristolian, the legendary anarchist tabloid Class War and the Vote Nobody campaign of 2001. Millsy will briefly analyse democracy is this country for the working classes, and describe what it means for us now. How democratic are society, our political parties, and our organisations? These two renowned local troublemakers will also provide their own […]

The Chartists And Their Legacy

The Chartists are commonly regarded as the first mass working class movement of the 19th Century. Their demands for the vote, secret ballots and the end of property qualifications are now standard fare in most democracies but at the time rocked the British establishment to the core, leading many to think that revolution was imminent. We bring together a panel of renowned historians to discuss the origins, achievements and the local significance of the Chartist Movement in the South West. Dorothy […]

US NOW – Popular Democracy And The Internet

To launch a month of events on the history of the struggle for democracy in Britain, Bristol Radical History Group and Bristol Indymedia bring together key writers, activists and controversial bloggers in a public debate about the impact the internet has had on the struggle for popular democracy. US NOW The evening includes the screening of the film US NOW which tells the stories of the online networks whose radical self-organising structures threaten to change the fabric of government forever. […]

Morris Beckman And Britain’s Secret War

Bristol Radical History & Bristol Antifa join us for an astounding a talk by author Morris Beckman about the hidden history of how British Jewish ex-servicemen fought back against those trying to reconstitute fascist groups after WWII. The '43 Group' took it's name from the number of people at the founding meeting, one of whom was Morris Beckman (who had served on a Flower class corvette during the war). The movement grew to include many hundreds of men and women, including a 17-year-old […]

Why History Matters & Radical History Matters More – Part 2

Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street New York, New York 10002 A series of lectures, presentations and discussion presented by Bristol Radical History Group (BRHG) emphasising the importance and relevance of radical history. Using a diverse series of historical case studies the speakers will demonstrate the various interventions BRHG have made into their local and national histories including: uncovering hidden histories challenging established narratives questioning previous generations of 'radical […]

The Midnight Notes 30 Conference

The Midnight Notes Collective meet to discuss their past and their future. Several members were present and made contributions to this conference. Brecht Forum, 451 West Street (between Bank & Bethune Streets), New York, NY 10014