Political Argument

Abstract

This chapter offers a synoptic survey of political argument in the popular print culture the early modern period and attempts to place it in its contemporary ideological and cultural context. Not so long ago the scholarly consensus was that there was no such thing as popular politics in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England — or if there was it mostly consisted in riots and protests and was thus pre-political in its character. However, understanding of the nature and extent of popular political awareness, participation, and action has been completely revised by a number of important studies on popular politics, so much so that in some of these studies early modern politics appears popular by definition. Popular print was already used for religio-political purposes during the earlier part of the sixteenth century as well as during Edward's and Mary's short reigns. The chapter shows that it assumed an even more important role during the latter part of the century.