Jacobitism and the historian: Some neglected sources on the Jacobite insurrections of 1715 and 1745

Jacobitism - under the impact of new perspectives in political thought, religion, culture, and society - remains a contested subject of British historiography. The present article examines various aspects of this academic debate and warns against a monolithic view of the discord that fueled Jacobite disaffection. It shows that Jacobitism - whether Scottish, English, or Welsh - was riddled with ethnic and sectarian divisions that made collective, cooperative measures all but impossible. The paper also draws attention to fresh manuscript material that gives greater precision to the myriadforces shaping the agenda and direction of Jacobite activism.