The 'Natural Leaders' And Their World: Politics, Culture And Society In Belfast, C. 18011832 (Reappraisals In Irish History Lup,Used

Review 'A rigorous, painstaking study by Jonathan Wright that authoritatively skewers myth after myth. It shines a revealing light on the political, cultural and social life of Belfast in the early 19th century.'The Irish Times 'An important contribution to the history of Belfast as well as to the broader subjects of Ulster liberalism and Presbyterianism. By stepping out of the usual historiographical constraints placed upon the period, Wright has produced a confident and enlightening first monograph, one that hopefullywill help to steer future research into what is perhaps the most neglected period of modern Ulster's history.'Reviews in History 'Informed by the most recent historiographical trends and research, Wright's book demonstrates the numerous new avenues available to historians of Ulster. Smartly organized and engagingly written, it is an important work.'Reviews in History 'A fine book, a wellwritten and insightful study on early nineteenthcentury Belfast politics. By focusing on the Tennent family and using a rich array of underutilized sources, Jonathan JeffreyWright has produced an important book that greatly adds to our understanding of this critical era. If thebook raises as many questions as it answers, we are further indebted to the author's work, particularly if this stimulating study leads other talented scholars to examine the rich and often ignored experience of early nineteenthcentury Belfast.'Journal of British Studies Product Description This book is a richly detailed exploration of the complex and cosmopolitan urban culture inhabited by the Presbyterian elite of lateGeorgian Belfast, which will prove to be of interest to a wide range of scholars working on the political, cultural and intellectual histories of both Irelandand Britain during the age of reform. Employing both biographical and thematic approaches, the book begins by examining the story of the Tennents, one of the most prominent Presbyterian families in earlynineteenthcentury Belfast, before turning to reconstruct their milieu. Challenging existingnarratives, the study provides a major reassessment of the political life of lateGeorgian Belfast, highlighting the activities of a closeknit group of advanced reformer the 'natural leaders' of the books title who sought to promote the cause of reform and engage with British and Europeanpolitical events. In addition, the book contains the first serious scholarly examination of the cultural and intellectual life of the town in the earlynineteenth century, and the first major treatment of the middle classes' philanthropic activities. The interplay of politics and culture isdiscussed, as is the accuracy of Belfast's reputation as the 'Athens of the North' and the religious underpinnings of the town's charitable societies. In examining these areas, attention is paid to the influence of trends such as romanticism and evangelicalism and of writers such as Lord Byron,Walter Scott, Robert Owen and Thomas Chalmers, and it is argued that, both culturally and politically, the Presbyterian middle classes of Belfast inhabited a British world. About the Author Dr Jonathan Jeffrey Wright holds an IRCHSSfunded postdoctoral fellowship at Trinity College, Dublin and is a research fellow on the AHRCfunded Scientific Metropolis project at Queen's University Belfast.