'Liberty Has an Asylum': John Jebb, British Radicalism and the American Revolution

Abstract

The American Revolution influenced the ideology and confidence of British radicals. This article adds to our understanding of this process through a close examination of how a leading English radical perceived the conflict between colonies and parliament. The example set by the Americans encouraged John Jebb in his agitation for radical religious, educational and political reform, and led him to advocate universal manhood suffrage. Jebb imagined that America was a bastion of enlightened civic virtue, an impression strengthened by his acquaintance with the American envoy, John Adams.