
The Little Englanders were a British political movement who opposed empire-building and advocated complete independence for Britain's existing colonies.
The ideas of Little Englandism first began to gain popularity in the late 18th century after the
loss of the American colonies, but later came to be strongly associated as a reference to members of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
who opposed further expansion of the British Empire. The term "Little Englander" itself was first recorded in 1833, and was usually derogatory.
Since the 2010s, especially after the
2016 Brexit referendum,
the term has become a popular derogatory epithet for an
English chauvinist who mistrusts the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, international cooperation, and
foreigners in general. "
Gammon" has been used similarly in British political culture since 2012.
History
The original Little England movement originated among manufacturers in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and found support among journalists such as
Goldwin Smith. The movement objected to the
protectionist
Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
stance of
British Canada
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
, which was exemplified by the
tariff
A tariff or import tax is a duty (tax), duty imposed by a national Government, government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer. Exceptionally, an export tax may be levied on exports of goods ...
increase of 1859. The English manufacturers resented paying taxes to defend a colony that imported few British goods, but exported so many to England. Moreover, it was believed that the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
could become a much more important partner, as it was already Britain's best customer outside Europe. There was also a social element to the movement. The
Manchester School opposed the Empire for providing
sinecure
A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is a position with a salary or otherwise generating income that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval church, ...
s for the idle sons of the
aristocracy
Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats.
Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...
at the expense of productive
industrialist
A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or ser ...
s at home. The Little England stance was adopted by a wing of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
typified by
William Gladstone (1809–1898), who opposed many of Britain's military ventures in the late 19th century. It is particularly associated with opposition to the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
(1899–1902).
Arthur Ponsonby wrote of the Liberal leader Sir
Henry Campbell-Bannerman's opposition to the Boer War: "The impression one got of him from the Press in those days was … that he was an unpatriotic Little Englander".
In literature
The term "little England" predates its political usage; the expression "this little England" was used in the
Gunpowder Day sermon of the English
Puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
preacher
Thomas Hooker (5 November 1626). It is also used in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's play ''
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
'' (1601), when the Old Lady tells
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...
: "In faith, for little England / You'd venture an
emballing: / I myself would for
Carnarvonshire."
Contemporary usage
The Cambridge online dictionary defines "Little Englander" as "an English person who thinks England is better than all other countries, and that England should only work together with other countries when there is an advantage for England in doing so". The term has been used as a derogatory term for
English nationalists and British people who are
xenophobic
Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
or overly nationalistic.
It has also been applied to opponents of
globalism,
multilateralism
In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...
, and
internationalism.
Since the 2010s, especially post-
Brexit
Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU).
Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
,
the term has gained popularity as a derogatory way to describe supporters of English nationalism and xenophobia.
For this reason, it is similar to the insult "
gammon", which has been used in British political culture since 2012.
See also
*
Gammon (insult)
*
Merry England
"Merry England", or in more jocular, archaic spelling "Merrie England", refers to a utopian conception of English culture, English society and culture based on an idyllic pastoral way of life that was allegedly prevalent in Early Modern Britai ...
References
{{Portal bar, England, Politics, Literature
Anti-imperialism in Europe
Libertarianism in England
Politics of England
Resistance to the British Empire