Issue 45 of the North Briton (April 23, 1763), by John Wilkes, attacked the ministerial policies the king expressed in his speech proroguing Parliament. Wilkes was arrested but claimed immunity as a member of Parliament. He was removed from Parliament and fled to France. The attempt to try Wilkes led to riots in London supporting him. He espoused radical political ideas and, after being returned to his seat in 1774, introduced a bill for sweeping parliamentary reform, including a significant broadening of the franchise.
Bread and Corn Riots. Lower classes protested the increased cost of foodstuffs. These riots also expressed lower-class discontent over the gradual destruction of the “moral economy,” in which local elites had a moral obligation to provide adequate provisions for the lower orders. These riots followed a distinct pattern. The merchant was generally offered a fair price for his bread or corn, and if he refused to accept it, rioters seized the goods, distributed them, and left the “fair” price in exchange.
First Sunday school established by Hannah Ball. Sunday schools were initially a nondenominational product of Methodism as well as an effort to increase education among the lower classes.
