"The Local in the Global": memories of northern industrial protest in a transnational context, 1880-1930

This article locates memories of northern industrial protest in the context of recent debates about transnationalism. It focuses on key events and personalities that were formative for the radical platform in the heartland of the industrial north, notably Peterloo, Chartism and the agitation surrounding Gerrard Winstanley and the Diggers. Analysing the importance of these memories in sustaining a northern radical identity, it scrutinises the transmission of images of martyrdom and dissent to new world situations, particularly to the Australian colonies and to New Zealand. Examining the rhetoric of the radical platform, this article argues for the centrality of memories of radical dissent for the emergence of new labour parties in the broader White empire. It also analyses the significance of memories of dispossession for the platforms of radical politicians who sought to shake off the legacy of the “old world.” Further, this article explores the concept of a northern radical diaspora, and re-examines the factors that allowed memories of the popular politics of the nineteenth-century in the industrial north to gain a renewed significance in 'new world' situations.