Radicals and Reformers in Late Eighteenth-century Scotland

Book excerpt: The political awakening of Scotland in the last quarter of the 18th century is documented by the growing number of pamphlets and other literature in those years. This number increased dramatically following the diffusion of the ideas of the French Revolution, and the heated debate it inspired. Already the war with the American colonies had led to a more widespread interest in politics, and the issues of sovereignty and of representation were to become more and more crucial as the need for a reform - at local as well as at national level - made itself felt. The annotated checklist constitutes a documentary source for further studies in this field, while the comments appended to the items offer information and suggestions for possible directions of research.