Funferal

Lessons from the 18th century anti-slavery movement

Anyone interested in how political movements operate and develop will want to read Rebecca Solnit’s “The Making of a Movement” – a review of a book about the development of the anti-slavery movement in Britain. Tale of coincidence, tenacity and social networks is fascinating. One part reminded me of Morone’s Democratic Wish, where he examines the relationship between revolutionary impulse and reformist action. Solnit notes, for instance, the:

Symbiosis of unbending activists and back-room-dealing ones, whereby the revolutionists extend the argument and make the reformers look reasonable