Swing, Speenhamland and rural social relations: the 'moral economy' of the English crowd in the nineteenth century.

The article presents social history research into the "moral economy" and social relations of rural Britons in the nineteenth century. The concept of "moral economy" is the sole tool for understanding aspects of crowd behavior and authoritarian responses to it during the years between 1795 and 1834. Moral economy continued to inform the concept of legitimation that underpinned the actions of the crowds. A labor movement in defense of customary rights had strong foundations in the expectations and practices of rural communities in England.