Petticoat Heroes: Rethinking the Rebecca Riots

The wave of unrest which took place in the 1840s in Wales known as “the Rebecca riots” stands out as a success story within the generally gloomy annals of popular struggle and defeat: farmers and workers, outlandishly dressed in bonnets and petticoats, showed their outrage against unfair taxes by attacking tollgates and other symbols of perceived injustice. Petticoat Heroes draws on the fields of cultural history, gender studies, and anthropology to present fresh and alternative arguments on the meaning of Rebeccaite costume and ritual, the significance of the feminine in protest, and the links between protest and popular culture. An epilogue discusses the Rebecca riots in the context of the contemporary resurgence of leaderless protest around the world including the Occupy and Anonymous movements.