Out of Obscurity: Local Leadership and Cultural Wealth in the Radical Communities of the West Riding Textile District, 1825–40

Abstract

This paper revisits the local leadership of the various inter-related campaigns, agitations and oppositional activities that animated many of the communities of the West Riding textile district during the 1825–40 period. After examining different levels and types of leadership, it explores how people became leaders, the attractions and drawbacks of their role, and the challenges they faced. The study argues that the emergence of a generation of leaders who tapped into and contributed to the cultural wealth of their communities helps to explain the vitality of popular radicalism and the easy replenishment of early Chartist leadership in these localities.