Welsh Hisoryws once either 'British' and also very 'Imperialist', even in my School Days history was taught as we were thought to be 'Children of a Colony'. But at the same time the Welsh shot themselves in the foot by handing out little but Welsh Religious history and again even in my school days. Despite, Welsh History now catching up on a some what suppressed medieval period history, such is now more popular than ever in the publc domain. However, I do not think this is so true of all schools, as I know of children still who know of no main Welsh 'iconic' historical figures other than St David. Much of this medieval history is 'Gogcentric' has our history in general has been and possibly still is 'anglocentric', for reasons which should be obvious in 'Crachach' dominated areas of education and culture.
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As for working class history, neither is that so badly treated possibly due to Llafur the Labour History Society whose membership his loaded with Professors and Teachers. Nationalist minded educational professionals are inclined to be more favourable to the medieval period as much for cultural reasons as medieval military history, indeed they favour the former more as it suits the Rural, Cultural or 'Y Crachach' world most of they have sprung from. As for history of Social Struggle and 'left' political History in general much has improved here. There being a number of books available on Merthyr 1831 and Chartist Rising 1831 and Rebecca Revolt, but still much more could be researched and published.
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The Corn Riots, Enclosure Resistence and other Social Struggles have recieved some attention but needs more attention, not least in period from 16th century Reform to 17th Revival to 18th Century Romanticism. Here the pioneer is very much Aberystwyth based historian Geraint H.Jenkins, see link:
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Amazon.co.uk: Geraint H. Jenkins: Books
The Foundations of Modern Wales: Wales 1642-1780: Foundations of Modern Wales v. 4 (History of Wales) by Geraint H. Jenkins (Paperback - 21 Jan 1993) ...
www.amazon.co.uk/.../s?...27%3AGeraint%20H.%20Jenkins...Geraint%20H.%20Jenkins... - Cached
www.amazon.co.uk/.../s?...27%3AGeraint%20H.%20Jenkins...Geraint%20H.
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There are a number of other historians working in this period on similar subjects of Social history but their work is usually published in Journals and as often as not I only come across them by chance. However, there are a few books available as The Rural Revolt That Failed:
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www.gwales.com - 9780708310243, Rural Revolt That Failed, The...
- [ Translate this page ]Astudiaeth hanesyddol o Undebau Llafur gweithwyr amaethyddol yng Nghymru o 1889 hyd 1950....
www.gwales.com/goto/biblio/cy/9780708310243/ - Cached
www.gwales.com/goto/biblio/cy/9780708310243/ - Cached
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The following link provides information on a load of good books dealing with history of popular politics and Revolts to inform and Educate to be Free!
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So without doubt much is improving, I know of a book being worked on regards Lewis Lewis the Merthyr Insurrection 1831 but what about Edward Morgan and the Scotch Cattle, surely a work screaming to be produced and published and one that needed to have been done ths year, the 175th Anniversary of the hanging of Edward Morgan, a leader of the Scotch Cattle in 1835, see my Red Remembrancer blog for more on this before end of the month, if possible. Hope the above is of interest to one and all, not least for some on the 'Left in Wales' who are as 'blinkered' about Welsh History with a 'Tunnel Vision' that only sees a radical and revolutionary history as something only 'occurring' in our Industrial South, England and the World but not in their own backyard.
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G.Gruffydd.
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