LEVELLERS
Most popular radical movements were religious but at the time, Leveller ideas were largely rejected.
Origins: traders/merchants who strongly held the belief that the war had made an economic recession which
threatened their livelihoods. Therefore, the movements early demands were to do w/taxation, monopolies
and restriction of trade.
Leader: John Lilburne. Outstanding spokesman, natural rebel, fought for P in the 1st Civil War, didn’t like the
growing strength of the Presbyterians and later refused to fight for P.
September 1648, ‘Humble Petition’ listed what P had failed to do:
Reform and extend the franchise (suffrage/vote)
Make P answerable to the people
Prevent conscription
Abolish tithes (Church tax) and duties
Reform the law so it stopped being a tyranny
Release those imprisoned for debt
Free trade from restrictions and prevent monopolies from being made
Introduce liberty of conscience
Freedom of worship
Take property from the wealthy, therefore ‘making all things common’
Levellers thought that C1’s death would be a prelude to social/religious reformation. BUT Rump made it clear
that they weren’t going to make concessions to Levellers. Lilburne made a pamphlet accusing Cromwell of high
treason. This defiance wasn’t to be tolerated and Lilburne was put in the Tower of London. This helped inspire
resistance in the ranks of the army.
Rump’s unpopularity + soldiers’ fear of being sent to Ireland despite not being paid = a number of units
mutinied (May 1649). Rump told Cromwell to crush the rising, which he did w/out second thought as Lilburne
had insulted him. NMA crushed them quickly and severely. Cromwell did this by:
1. Assuring loyal regiments of the Rump’s intention to settle their arrears of pay. In This marked the
return, they had to help subdue the Levellers. end of the Leveller
2. Cromwell/Fairfax chased them over 2 countries. rising in the army
3. 14th May – Levellers were cornered at Burford in Oxfordshire. and the movement
4. Mutineers surrendered, were court-martialled (a court that tried members of the as a whole.
armed services accused of offences against military law) and 3 ringleaders were shot.
KEY: Levellers DIDN’T WANT to make society level.
They didn’t believe in universal suffrage (all adults). They wanted the vote for the ‘middling sort’ such as
craftsmen, shop-keepers and small property owners. Levellers never represented women or the poor. They
never had much support from people of actual influence as this urban movement frightened the propertied
classes. Levellers were more of a pressure group rather than a revolutionary movement and had minimal
influence.
Failure of the Levellers:
1649, the Leveller movement was just over 3 years old, it was too young to have fully grown its roots
in society.
They attracted attention but not support. Barely 800 soldiers joined the Leveller revolt in May 1649.
Numbers were too low to be considered a threat.
They could never crush the NMA.
They were politicised but not radicalised. When Cromwell/Ireton persuaded the Rump in 1649 to pay
back the soldiers, unrest was greatly reduced.
Most popular radical movements were religious but at the time, Leveller ideas were largely rejected.
Origins: traders/merchants who strongly held the belief that the war had made an economic recession which
threatened their livelihoods. Therefore, the movements early demands were to do w/taxation, monopolies
and restriction of trade.
Leader: John Lilburne. Outstanding spokesman, natural rebel, fought for P in the 1st Civil War, didn’t like the
growing strength of the Presbyterians and later refused to fight for P.
September 1648, ‘Humble Petition’ listed what P had failed to do:
Reform and extend the franchise (suffrage/vote)
Make P answerable to the people
Prevent conscription
Abolish tithes (Church tax) and duties
Reform the law so it stopped being a tyranny
Release those imprisoned for debt
Free trade from restrictions and prevent monopolies from being made
Introduce liberty of conscience
Freedom of worship
Take property from the wealthy, therefore ‘making all things common’
Levellers thought that C1’s death would be a prelude to social/religious reformation. BUT Rump made it clear
that they weren’t going to make concessions to Levellers. Lilburne made a pamphlet accusing Cromwell of high
treason. This defiance wasn’t to be tolerated and Lilburne was put in the Tower of London. This helped inspire
resistance in the ranks of the army.
Rump’s unpopularity + soldiers’ fear of being sent to Ireland despite not being paid = a number of units
mutinied (May 1649). Rump told Cromwell to crush the rising, which he did w/out second thought as Lilburne
had insulted him. NMA crushed them quickly and severely. Cromwell did this by:
1. Assuring loyal regiments of the Rump’s intention to settle their arrears of pay. In This marked the
return, they had to help subdue the Levellers. end of the Leveller
2. Cromwell/Fairfax chased them over 2 countries. rising in the army
3. 14th May – Levellers were cornered at Burford in Oxfordshire. and the movement
4. Mutineers surrendered, were court-martialled (a court that tried members of the as a whole.
armed services accused of offences against military law) and 3 ringleaders were shot.
KEY: Levellers DIDN’T WANT to make society level.
They didn’t believe in universal suffrage (all adults). They wanted the vote for the ‘middling sort’ such as
craftsmen, shop-keepers and small property owners. Levellers never represented women or the poor. They
never had much support from people of actual influence as this urban movement frightened the propertied
classes. Levellers were more of a pressure group rather than a revolutionary movement and had minimal
influence.
Failure of the Levellers:
1649, the Leveller movement was just over 3 years old, it was too young to have fully grown its roots
in society.
They attracted attention but not support. Barely 800 soldiers joined the Leveller revolt in May 1649.
Numbers were too low to be considered a threat.
They could never crush the NMA.
They were politicised but not radicalised. When Cromwell/Ireton persuaded the Rump in 1649 to pay
back the soldiers, unrest was greatly reduced.
