In English speaking countries, anarchist ideas and practises have developed within the context of liberal political institutions and a Christian society. Anarchist thought was influenced by the rise and fall of the British Empire, participation in the two World Wars, and the development of the frontier societies of North America and Australia.

Contents

1 England before Empire 2 English colonialism 3 The fall of the English Empire 4 External links

England before Empire

Like the rest of Europe, England was ruled by a monarch during the Middle Ages. However, England was isolated from many of the political trends that developed in continental Europe, such as the spread of Empires and the development of absolute monarchy. English common law placed limits on the power of the rulers.

The establishment of the Anglican church and the spread of the Protestant reformation brought into question the authority of the church in religious affairs. English power expanded to dominate the neighboring nations of Scotland and Wales on the island of Great Britain, and even the neighboring island of Ireland. With the defeat of the Spanish armada, England was recognized as a naval power and was able to establish colonies around the world.

English colonialism

The English established colonies first in North America and later in Australia. While many colonists arrived with support of the English king, others crossed the ocean specifically to escape the king. Small, largely self-sufficient colonies were established with democratic governments, especially in New England. Low population density and military superiority over the native Americans allowed dissidents in the colonies to establish new colonies where they could live as they saw fit. While few or no colonists actually advocated anarchy, the conditions of the colonies made their existence much more anarchistic than was possible in Europe. For many years, even after the establishment of the states, these conditions continued to permit extensive economic self-sufficiency and local decision making, which are central values of many forms of anarchism. This tradition led to the development of individualist anarchism.

Contact with the indigenous peoples of North America and Australia provided colonists with examples of a diverse set of societies that were all radically different than the societies in Europe. While many colonists dismissed the Indigenous peoples as "savages," others looked to them for lessons about how societies could possibly be structured as well as identifying possible causes for problems in their own society. Some of these societies lacked concepts such as private property and had very flexible leadership. These societies have served as models for primitivist anarchists.

The colonial societies continued to develop with massive immigration, bringing more contact with human genetic and cultural diversity. Anarchistic ideas entered from around the world with these immigrants. The association of immigrants with radical politics often motivated anti-immigrant movements in the United States.

The fall of the English Empire

Even after the North American colonies broke from the English Empire, it continued to expand its power. This brought it in contact with many other societies, each with their own anarchistic traditions. Many Englishmen were disgusted by the violence that was necessary to maintain dominance over other nations, particularly the repression against the non-violent independence movement in India. The suffering of the Great Depression and the two World Wars also drove some of the English to question the basic structure of their society.

External links

• The Anarchist Project Network: http://www.anarchistprojects.net/

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