News Feed - Bristol Radical History Group

The Life And Times Of Warren James

Free Miner Of The Forest Of Dean

By Ian Wright

For centuries, the people of the Forest of Dean drew sustenance from its woods and wasteland and from minerals below the surface but had to fight to protect their ancient rights and way of life. Caught up in the social unrest that swept through the Forest in 1831, Warren James emerged as the spokesman for the Foresters in their struggle to resist the twin onslaught from the Crown, who sought to enclose the Forest, and from businessmen, who sought industrial profit from it.

John Locke

The Philosopher of Primitive Accumulation

By George Caffentzis

John Locke is the most famous philosopher born and raised in the vicinity of Bristol. He born in Wrington, Somerset about 12 miles from Bristol on August 29, 1632 and he was brought up in the market town of Pensford, about seven miles south of Bristol. Locke is also not only the main intellectual founder of liberalism, but also of neoliberalism, the “ruling idea” of the ruling class of today. George Caffentzis is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, University of Southern Maine, […]

The Bristol Manifesto

The 2008 G8 In Hokkaido: Strategic Assessment

By Emergency Exit Collective

This publication is no longer in print. When Bristol Radical History Group staged a series of events called Down With The Fences! The Struggle For The Global Commons in May 2008, a group of leading academics found themselves together in an Eastville living room. They talked about what they would like to say to the leaders of the G8 countries who were soon to meet in Hokkaido, Japan. The result of their discussions, published under the name of the ‘Emergency Exit Collective’, is The Bristol […]

A Brief History Of Corporations

Where Did They Come From?

By Daniel Bennett

Front cover based on a print depicting the Boston Tea Party.

Where did corporations come from and how did they get the same legal rights as individuals? This pamphlet attempts to answer these questions in a manner that will not cause the reader too much distress. But if you want more jokes, the pamphlet also includes a three-page comic by Andy Singer which addresses the same questions. "An entertaining and educational read"—Noam Chomsky (As relayed to Dan by Ward Morehouse, honest)

We Come For Our Own And We Shall Have It

Smuggling In Poole And Dorset

By Kevin Davis

A look at the history of smuggling in Dorset and the government responses to it. This pamphlet examines to whether smugglers should be considered folk heroes and to what extent smuggling was a community enterprise.

Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars

Thomas Clarkson In Bristol, 1787

By Mark Steeds

Cry Freedom, Cry World Heritage Site In 1787 abolitionist Thomas Clarkson researched the slave trade with help from Landlord Thompson while staying at The Seven Stars public house in Bristol. This pamphlet looks at how the histories of the pub and the abolition movement are intertwined, and why it should be the first pub to have UNESCO World Heritage status. The Seven Stars public house is one of the most important buildings in the entire history of Bristol, if not the country. It stands as a […]

Ben Tillett Audio

By Randell Brantley

Below is the audio from Jim McNeil's talk about Ben Tillett at Hydra Books. The talk an opportunity for Jim to launch his new pamphlet about Ben Tileltt. To find out more about this pamphlet, and all our pamphlets, take a look at the Publications Page. Part 1 Part 2

Mo’ May day Events

By Randell Brantley

Bristol Radical History Group are putting on two events for May Day: The Haymarket, Chicago and Mayday and The Friends of Durruti and the Maydays in Barcelona (1937) . Detials of these can be found on the events page. In addition to this the Bristol Fist Of May Group are putting on many eight events. You can find details of these on their website.

Waiting for Brando

By Randell Brantley

Waiting for Brando is a new play written by Mike Morris & Steve Higginson. Its debut is at The Unity Theatre, Liverpool, from Tuesday 22nd to Thursday 24th May. America 1953 – A country made paranoid by McCarthy’s anti-communist witch-hunts is beginning to march to the sound of civil rights, the birth of rock and roll and the new ‘teenage’ rebel. Two Liverpool merchant seamen, Eddie and Vinnie – both ‘Cunard Yanks’, meet up in a New York dockside bar to drink away the afternoon before their […]

Riot Talks

By Randell Brantley

Roger will be giving the following talks: Manchester Radical History Group - Saturday 31st March at the Town Hall Tavern, 2:30pm. "Practical Experiences & Endeavours of the Bristol Radical History Group" Liverpool/John Moores University - Wednesday May 2, 6:30-8:30pm at 126 Mount Pleasant. Leeds: Thursday 29th March London: Housemans Bookshop: Wednesday 25th April "The Short Hot Summer". The August 'riots' were portrayed by the media and politi-cians as the actions of 'greedy feral youth' or […]