The Genesis of Rebellion Governance, Grievance, and Mutiny in the Age of Sail

The Age of Sail has long fascinated readers, writers, and the general public. Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, Jack London et al. treated ships at sea as microcosms; Petri dishes in which larger themes of authority, conflict and order emerge. In this fascinating book, Pfaff and Hechter explore mutiny as a manifestation of collective action and contentious politics. The authors use narrative evidence and statistical analysis to trace the processes by which governance failed, social order decayed, and seamen mobilized. Their findings highlight the complexities of governance, showing that it was not mere deprivation, but how seamen interpreted that deprivation, which stoked the grievances that motivated rebellion. Using the Age of Sail as a lens to examine topics still relevant today - what motivates people to rebel against deprivation and poor governance - The Genesis of Rebellion: Governance, Grievance, and Mutiny in the Age of Sail helps us understand the emergence of populism and rejection of the establishment.

1. The genesis of rebellion; 2. Governance and social order in the Age of Sail; 3. One and all: the anatomy of mutiny; 4. Why seamen rebelled: the causes of mutiny; 5. Insurgency and solidarity: the mass mutinies at Spithead and the Nore; 6. Discipline, punishment and the fear of insurrection; 7. The consequences of mutiny; 8. Conclusion and implications.

Steven Pfaff serves on the board of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture. He studies sociology, political science, and economic history, and has received book prizes from the Social Science History Association and the European Academy of Sociology.
Michael Hechter is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Foundation Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University. He is the author of various books, including Alien Rule (Cambridge, 2013).