The Unitarians

Abstract

The contribution of Unitarianism to modern British society is well known. Unitarians were active first in the fight for liberty of conscience and later for dismantling the confessional state. In the course of this struggle most Unitarians came to champion freedom of the press, the civil rights of religious minorities, and, in the Victorian era, a more secular society. The denomination was also prone to political and social radicalism. Many members supported the colonists during the American war of independence, and prominent Unitarians were imprisoned or hounded out of Britain during the French Revolution. Others opposed slavery, supported the animal rights movement, or promoted female education when these causes were yet unpopular. Unitarians also figure large in the making of provincial middle-class culture. In the 1770s and 1780s Unitarians were members of a new merchant-gentry elite that dominated towns such as Hull, Leeds, and Wakefield. Early in the next century they wielded considerable economic power in cities such as Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester, where they were conspicuous for civic leadership and political influence.