Ballads and Poems Condemnation of Enclosure in Eighteenth Britain

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2008

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Abstract

"Historians have had a hard time finding evidence of opposition to enclosure and the loss of common right, partly due to the local nature of the process. Nevertheless, such opposition did exist, as scholars such as Jeanette Neeson have made clear. One way in which these changes to the land were opposed was through verse. Popular ballads, together with the poetry of peasant poets as well as mainstream poets such as Wordsworth, criticized the transformation of rural England using similar ideas and language. They argued that as a result of enclosure the peasantry were not only impoverished but socially marginalized, losing their sense of community. They also expressed sympathy for those who trespassed against the new enclosure laws. This evidence adds another dimension to historians understanding of the enclosure debate."

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enclosure--history, common pool resources--history, property rights--history

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