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In The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, and the Atlantic Working Class in the Eighteenth Century by Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker, they argue that the nature of mobs and revolts in the eighteenth century altered and did not consist solely of homogeneous groups, but rather of many classes, races, and vocations all advocating for a single cause. They note the presence of several nationalities in mobs during the pre-Revolutionary phase in the American colonies and sets them up in opposition to “the symbols of Royal Majesty and civil authority and ruling-class power” portraying the irony in whites plotting against whites.
Linebaugh and Rediker claim that modern historians have neglected to tell the story of these multi-faceted mobs but it is important to address what united these diverse groups: class. Yes, it may be surprising to find black slaves and white sailors working in unison to protest the affluent ‘white peoples’ of New York, it is more clarifying to note how they both fall into lower socioeconomic classes and they fought against these ‘whites’, for the most part, because they were wealthy and race was an obvious complement. These groups felt quite disfranchised and violated by the same culprits, just in different ways. The black slaves protested their servitude and the harsh conditions under which they lived while the white sailors protested the impressment which was being practiced rampantly in the streets of the colonies by the British administrators. These trying circumstances necessitated the unification of these varying groups in order for them to achieve their goals but I don’t believe it was any kind of progressive effort to integrate racial groups. Mobs are desperate and do what they can to achieve their own ends. In my view, class trumps race or any other political category when administrating a revolt.
The Hydra is used as a classical metaphor to describe how the working class would subvert the power of the wealthy. It is interesting to see how the use of such classical texts served to “assist the scientific revolution through the revival of neo-Platonism” but also “supported the doctrine of European progress in social development.” The working class used its newfound power and newly receptive audience to such revolutionary principles to fuel its cause and gain supporters to the revolutionary cause. These philosophies engendered by the Renaissance were, of course, instrumental in fostering the revolutionary sentiments in the colonies where they saw the inherent injustices in taxing peoples unrepresented by government and a need for some semblance of democracy.
In last week’s post, Ian made reference to the justification of factions, saying, “generally, they are a good thing, as they represent the ideas of different groups of people, which all come together to vote on the country’s directive.” I agree with this assertion which essentially addresses the argument Linebaugh and Rediker are making that the rebellions in colonial America, endorsed by so many diverse groups, were beneficial in that they voiced many peoples’ concerns. This was the necessary beginning of American freedoms to express your opinions without fear of backlash, but also of having a government and society tolerant to many philosophies.