Assaulting the English governing classes: Strategy and radical ideology in John Bright's Trent Affair speech

John Bright's speech on the “Trent Affair” in December of 1861 instantiates Victorian radical ideology in mid‐century. A careful reading of the speech reveals the ideological dimension that not only helps account for the ultimate success of the Union cause in Great Britain, but also demonstrates the ways in which the rhetorical depiction of the American war served radical efforts to align the respectable notion of “progress” with democratic values. Further, the speech illustrates the democratic strain in radical rhetoric that contributed to the impetus for political reform following the Northern victory in the American Civil War.