INTRODUCTION
Reading edition
This series of English History Source Books is intended for use with any ordinary textbook of English History. Experience has conclusively shown that such apparatus is a valuable—nay, an indispensable—adjunct to the history lesson. It is capable of two main uses: either by way of lively illustration at the close of a lesson, or by way of inference-drawing, before the textbook is read, at the beginning of the lesson. The kind of problems and exercises that may be based on the documents are legion, and are admirably illustrated in a History of England for Schools, Part I., by Keatinge and Frazer, pp. 377-381. However, we have no wish to prescribe for the teacher the manner in which he shall exercise his craft, but simply to provide him and his pupils with materials hitherto not readily accessible for school purposes. The very moderate price of the books in this series should bring them within the reach of every secondary school. Source books enable the pupil to take a more active part than hitherto in the history lesson. Here is the apparatus, the raw material: its use we leave to teacher and taught.
Our belief is that the books may profitably be used by all grades of historical students between the standards of fourth-form boys in secondary schools and undergraduates at Universities. What differentiates students at one extreme from those at the other is not so much the kind of subject-matter dealt with, as the amount they can read into or extract from it.
In regard to choice of subject-matter, while trying to satisfy the natural demand for certain “stock” documents of vital importance, we hope to introduce much fresh and novel matter. It is our intention that the majority of the extracts should be lively in style—that is, personal, or descriptive, or rhetorical, or even strongly partisan—and should not so much profess to give the truth as supply data for inference. We aim at the greatest possible variety, and lay under contribution letters, biographies, ballads and poems, diaries, debates, and newspaper accounts. Economics, London, municipal and social life generally, and local history, are represented in these pages.
The order of the extracts is strictly chronological, each being numbered, titled, and dated, and its authority given. The text is modernised, where necessary, to the extent of leaving no difficulties in reading.
We shall be most grateful to teachers and students who may send us suggestions for improvement.
S. E. WINBOLT. KENNETH BELL.
NOTE TO THIS VOLUME
I acknowledge, with thanks, the permission of Mr. John Murray to reprint the extracts from Queen Victoria’s Letters on pp. 26, 68, 84; and from The Croker Papers on p. 26; also the permission of Messrs. Longmans, Green and Co. to reprint the extracts from The Greville Memoirs on pp. 29, 68, 85; and those from The Life of Lord John Russell on pp. 99, 118.
R. H. G.
CONTENTS
page
Introduction v
date
1837. Accession of Queen Victoria Sybil 1
Affairs in Canada Report by Lord Durham 3
1838. The State of England:
I. Rural Districts Sybil 8
II. Mining Districts Sybil 10
III. Factory Towns Sybil, Coningsby 12
Ireland and her Landlords Life of Thos. Drummond 16
1839. The Charter of Colonial Self-Government Report by Lord Durham 20
The Bedchamber Plot Queen Victoria’s Letters
and The Croker Papers 26
1840. The Queen’s Marriage Greville Memoirs 29
1842. The Chartist Petition Hansard 31
The Railway Boom Endymion 38
The Corn Laws and the Manufacturers Hansard 42
Imprisonment for Absence from Church Hansard 46
1843. A Chartist in Prison Life of Thomas Cooper 49
A Chartist Hymn Life of Thomas Cooper 50
1844. Foretastes of Darwinism Tancred 51
The Opening of Mazzini’s Letters Hansard 53
1845. Agriculture and Free Trade Hansard 55
Peel’s Change of Views Peel’s Memoirs 60
Lord J. Russell quickens the Pace Peel’s Memoirs 65
The Bombshell Greville Memoirs 68
Peel and his Colleagues Queen Victoria’s Letters 68
1846. Free Trade Hansard 70
Peel’s Defence of his Method Peel’s Memoirs 77
Ireland: The Molly Maguires Peel’s Memoirs 80
1848. England and the Year of Revolution Life of Palmerston 81
1849. Conquest of the Punjab Queen Victoria’s Letters 84
1850. Character of Sir Robert Peel Greville Memoirs 85
Don Pacifico Hansard 87
The Roman Catholic Bishoprics Life of Palmerston 91
The Haynau Affair Life of Palmerston 92
1851. Palmerston and Kossuth Life of Palmerston 93
The Great Exhibition Life of Prince Consort 94
Palmerston and the Coup d’État Life of Palmerston 96
1853. Relations with Russia Life of Lord J. Russell 99
1854. The Quaker Deputation to the Tsar Memoirs of Joseph Sturge 102
Horrors of the Crimean Hospitals The Times 105
The Crisis at the Alma The Times 107
The Morning of Inkermann The Times 110
1855. “Muddling through” before Sebastopol The Times 111
The Angel of Death Hansard 114
Why Peace Negotiations failed Life of Lord J. Russell 118
COMMERCIAL POLITICS
(1837-1856)