The independent man

<p>'Independence' was an important ideal for men in Georgian England. In this period however the word meant much more than simply the virtues of self-sufficiency and impartiality. Most people believed that obligations absolutely compromised freedom and conscience whereas 'independence' was associated with manly virtue and physical vigour. Fundamentally the political world was thought to consist of 'independent men' exercising their consciences and standing up for the general good. As such Georgians thought about political action and masculine virtue very differently to the ways in which we do today.<br><br>In this study newly available in paperback Matthew McCormack establishes the links between the histories of masculinity and politics highlighting the centrality of 'manly' ideals in the political world and - conversely - the role of politics in the operation of gender ideology.</p>