The cause of liberty has had many heroes – but you’ve probably never heard of Algernon Sidney

I’ve been watching the four-part television series “New Worlds” on Channel Four. It has now concluded but it will soon be available on DVD – see here. It is set in Britain and America at the time of the restoration of the British monarchy with King Charles II on the throne.

As always with historical dramas, I learned new things. I was particular interested in the character of Algernon Sidney who wrote a tract on liberty that is still recalled today. His Wikipedia profile summarises his life as follows:

Algernon Sidney or Sydney (14 or 15 January 1623 – 7 December 1683) was an English politician and member of the Long Parliament. A republican political theorist, colonel, and commissioner of the trial of King Charles I of England, he opposed the king’s execution. Sidney was later charged with plotting against the King, in part based on his work, Discourses Concerning Government, used by the prosecution as a witness at his trial. He was executed for treason.  After his death, Sidney was revered as a “Whig patriot–hero and martyr”.

You can read the full Wikipedia page on Sidney here.


 




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