Levellers

:See Levellers (disambiguation) for alternative meanings.

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The Levellers were a mid 17th century English political party, who came to prominence during the English Civil Wars. Their manifesto involved a remodelling of the English political process along the lines of a more egalitarian, less class-driven regime. They had a large following within the ranks of the New Model Army.

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Origin of name

They were labelled 'Levellers' by their enemies, who claimed that they were intent on bringing all down to the lowest common level. This was a charge that they vehemently denied, but they adopted the name because it was how they were known to the majority of people.

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Leaders

The most vocal of the Leveller leaders was John Lilburne. Other leaders included William Walwyn, Thomas Prince, and Richard Overton. "Freeborn" John Lilburne regarded the term “Levellers” to be pejorative. Lilburne called his supporters "Levellers so-called" and preferred to refer to the Levellers as "Agitators".

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English Civil Wars

The Levellers were one of the largest factions on the Parliamentarian side during the English Civil Wars. They were organised at the national level, with offices in a number of London inns and taverns. The Levellers published a newspaper (The Moderate), and they identified themselves by sea-green ribbons worn on their clothing. The Levellers were extremely well-supported from within the ranks of the New Model Army.

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Political ambitions

The Levellers' political ambitions involved a remodelling of the English political process along the lines of a more egalitarian, less class-driven regime. They held (in the words of Richard Overton) that "by natural birth all men are equally and alike borne to like propriety, liberty and freedom", and that government should be a contract between equal citizens. Their manifesto included: extension of suffrage to all adult males who were neither servants nor alms-takers, biannual or annual elections, complete religious freedom, an end to the censorship of books and newspapers, the abolition of the monarchy and the House of Lords, trial by jury, an end to taxation of people earning less than £30 a year, and a maximum interest rate of six percent.

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Secular foundation

The basis of Leveller politics was original in that it was not founded on religious doctrine. What the Levellers sought was a secular republic, without religious direction from the state. In common with later liberals they called for the abolition of tithes, the feudal fee charged to pay for the state church. They argued for complete religious tolerance, a position which was markedly radical for the time.

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Their views were in stark contrast to those of groups such as the Diggers, led by Gerrard Winstanley, who called themselves True Levellers. They called for the total destruction of the existing order, and its replacement by a communistic and agrarian lifestyle based on a doctrine which they derived from the Book of Acts.

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17th century: As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700 in the Gregorian calendar....

English: English in common usage may refer to:...

Political party: A political party is a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power within a government. The party's policies often represent an aggregation of interests within the party, which will inevitably vary considerably even between party members. In certa...