99. Cops and Catholics
A History of England17 Heinä 2022

99. Cops and Catholics

The cops are what Robert Peel’s best remembered for. Thanks to him, the world’s first professional, civilian police force was launched. It hasn’t always lived up to initial expectations, with London’s Metropolitan Police going through particularly difficult times just now but, boy, it’s an initiative that has left its mark. And not just in Britain.

There was controversy about setting up a police force, with some resisting the idea of paying people to keep an eye on them and make sure they behaved. To libertarians, that felt like an incursion on basic freedoms. But far more controversial still was the extension of political rights to non-Anglican religious groups.

First, it was dissident Protestants, and Peel had to change his tune to support their emancipation.

But next it was the Catholics, and his U-turn was even more shocking. Nicknamed ‘Orange Peel’ for is backing for the Protestant (Orange) cause, it was astonishing to see him leading the charge for Catholic Emancipation in 1829. But Peel's dramatic changes of view would astonish a lot of people, a lot of times in his career.


Illustration: Photograph of a ‘Peeler’ of the 1850s. Public domain (PD-US-expired).

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Jaksot(274)

89. 1812: turning point

89. 1812: turning point

1812 was a year of turning points. It was the year that Spencer Perceval was murdered, the only British Prime Minister to have met such a fate, and his successor Lord Liverpool was appointed. Just a ...

8 Touko 202214min

88. Murder in the Commons

88. Murder in the Commons

This is where we start to get to know the future King George IV, in the time when he became Prince Regent. We also meet his friend ‘Beau’ Brummel and talk about the disastrous way that friendship end...

1 Touko 202214min

87. War, a war crime, and a duel

87. War, a war crime, and a duel

The Ministry of all the Talents has fallen and the Duke of Portland, after a record-breaking gap of 24 years, has formed a new government. The people making it up are now referred to as Tories and thi...

24 Huhti 202214min

86. Abolition of the Slave Trade. By the Talents. Or Blunderers

86. Abolition of the Slave Trade. By the Talents. Or Blunderers

Slavery: finally, the time had come for a major step to be taken. Oh, no, not the actual abolition of slavery itself. But at least the abolition of the trade in slaves. Funnily enough, that’s somethin...

17 Huhti 202214min

85. England expects. And saves its neighbours

85. England expects. And saves its neighbours

It’s time for Pitt’s second go as Prime Minister, and for another round of war in Europe. But Pitt was no longer the conquering hero he once had been. On the other hand, there was one notable moment o...

10 Huhti 202214min

84. Interludes

84. Interludes

An episode about interludes… The first of these looked like the end of an era, when William Pitt the Younger stepped down as Prime Minister, after seventeen years in power, and still younger than any ...

3 Huhti 202214min

83. Dragging Ireland into the United Kingdom, and how that brought down its first Prime Minister

83. Dragging Ireland into the United Kingdom, and how that brought down its first Prime Minister

After talking about Britain’s biggest and most lucrative colony, India, we now turn our attention to its oldest, closest and most troublesome, Ireland. We've seen that Pitt had tried to establish fre...

27 Maalis 202214min

82. Benefits of Empire in India

82. Benefits of Empire in India

We’re back with Britain’s great imperial project in India, going great guns (often literally) despite the war in Europe. It was still in principle being run by England’s old East India company, though...

20 Maalis 202215min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
rss-ikiuni
tsunami
totuus-vai-salaliitto
konginkangas
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rouva-diktaattori
historiaa-suomeksi
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
maailmanpuu
rss-peter-peter
historian-nurkkapoyta
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
apinan-vuosi