Riot Act

Historical Context Note

Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Domains

Legislation (Bills, Acts, Laws ...)

Dates

Date of occurrence 1715-07

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

The so-called “Riot Act” (1 Geo.1 St.2 c.5) was passed in 1714, the first year of the reign of King George I, and came into effect on 1 August 1715. Its full title was: “An act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters”. It was an attempt by the new regime to shore up the power of civil authorities after the Hanoverian succession and the rise of the Whigs. It can also be placed in a larger history of increased criminalisation during the first quarter of the eighteenth century, culminating in the Black Act of 1723 (see E.P. Thompson, Whigs and Hunters: The Origins of the Black Act [London:…

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592 words

Citation: Seager, Nicholas. "Riot Act". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 June 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1401, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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Riot Act

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