Coming to scratch : boxing and British society during the Napoleonic Wars, 2001

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Nor

Identifier: b2089306

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate History program. The holdings are bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

From the Collection:

During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations Publishing website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.

Dates

Creation: 2001

Creator

Norman, William G. (1954- ) (Author, Person)
Campbell, Kenneth L. (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 79 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Foreword [excerpts]

Military history can be divided into three categories: the study of battles, the principles of waging war and the relationship of war to the political goals of nations. The study of battles has received the lion's share of attention. An offshoot of this study of battles is the study of the behavior of those engaged in battle. A less explored area of military history is how people as members of society react to war. Investigation of this subject may lend insight into how national character helps to sustain a nation through the adversity of protracted armed conflict. Additonally, this research may reveal how soldiers' behavior reflects national character.

I assert that boxing and prize fighting provide a venue for gaining insight into the effects of a protracted war on British society. A method for assessing the effect of the Napoleonic Wars on British Society is to research the effect of the war on an activity that held the interest of the public. Activities, such as boxing and prizefighting, were highly popular and may provide a venue for tracking behavioral trends that are related to conditions brought on by the war....

The purpose of this thesis is to answer the following three questions: First, does the literature, fiction and nonfiction, written during and after the Napoleonic Wars accurately depict a parallel between bare-knuckle boxing and the British public's view of their national character? Second, did professional prizefighting have any effect on the morale of the British public during the Napoleonic Wars? Third, how was the impact of the Napoleonic Wars on prize fighting a reflection of the war's impact on British society?