Abstract
Mechanics' institutes were established in hundreds of towns and villages throughout the United Kingdom in the years immedi ately following the founding of the London Mechanics' Institute in 1823. According to the declared objectives of the early pro motors, the prime purpose of the institutes was to provide worth while educational opportunities for the working man. In contrast to subsequent commentaries, which have reinforced the view that mechanics' institutes constituted a popular movement for the edu cation of working class adults, the thesis of this study is that the institutes failed to meet the educational needs as well as the economic and social aspirations of the working class clientele for whose benefit they were established. Continued domination of the movement by middle class sponsors, who attempted to impose their own values, will be stressed as one of the main causal factors which led to the estrangement of the workers and a rapid decline in the activities of the movement.
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