A unique historical account of poor peoples' self-defence
strategies in the face of the plunder of their lands and labor For
five centuries, the development of capitalism has been inextricably
connected to the expropriation of working people from the land they
depended on for subsistence. Through ruling class assaults known as
enclosures or clearances, shared common land became privately-owned
capital, and peasant farmers became propertyless laborers who could
only survive by working for the owners of land or capital. As Ian
Angus documents in The War Against the Commons, mass opposition to
dispossession has never ceased. His dramatic account provides new
insights into an opposition that ranged from stubborn
non-compliance to open rebellion, including eyewitness accounts of
campaigns in which thousands of protestors tore down fences and
restored common access to pastures and forests. Such movements, he
shows, led to the Diggers' call for a new society based on shared
ownership and use of the land, an appeal that was more
sophisticated and radical than anything else written before the
1800s. Contrary to many accounts that treat the reorganization of
agriculture as a purely domestic matter, Angus shows that there
were close connections between the enclosures in Britain and
imperial expansion. The consolidation of some of the largest
estates in England and Scotland was directly financed by the forced
labor of African slaves and the colonial plunder of India. This
unique historical account of ruling class robbery and poor peoples'
resistance offers answers to key questions about the history of
capitalism. Was enclosure a "necessary evil" that enabled economic
growth? What role did deliberate promotion of hunger play in the
creation of the working class? How did Marx and Engels view the
separation of workers from the land, and how does resistance to
enclosure continue in the 21st century?
General
Imprint: |
Monthly Review Press,U.S.
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
July 2023 |
Authors: |
Ian Angus
|
Dimensions: |
210 x 140 x 18mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
277 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-68590-016-8 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-68590-016-X |
Barcode: |
9781685900168 |
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