24
the support for similarly radical politics grew within Britain . Clubs and societies advocating for radical reform utilised the space of the coffee-house and the anxiety for radical insurrection was reflected within print . Much of the historiography surrounding coffee-house culture has focused its rising popularity and prominence within British society during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries . Therefore , part of my thesis and by extension this essay will deal with the underexplored coffee-house culture of the late eighteenth century and how the political machinations of the French Revolution affected that culture .
Key words : Coffee Houses ; 18th Century British Culture ; Sociability ; 18th Century British Politics ; 18th Century Periodical Culture
Introduction
The coffee-house is a strange concept to unpack , particularly because its presumed connections with the modern-day café lead to some misconceptions surrounding its nature . Coffee was a staple of these establishments , yet alcohol , chocolate , and tea were also readily available . These novel beverages provided a stimulating alternative to the intoxicating effects of alcohol . Moreover , these spaces often fostered social interactions between strangers . Most establishments were furnished with large tables , often located in the centre of rooms . 21 This did not always foster a convivial atmosphere . During the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution , the coffee-house became renowned in print and in government for seditious talk and activity . To combat this , the Restoration Era saw efforts to forge a new , and altogether more polite , identity for the coffee-house as a space of sociability . 22 These efforts to control and civilise the coffee-house had come through print which was disseminated through newspapers and periodicals into the coffee-houses directly . Theoretically , such print culture would serve to shift conversation away from sedition or salacious gossip to the subjects of politeness and manners . 23 Historiography surrounding coffee-house culture has overwhelmingly focused on the late 17 th and early 18 th centuries which is widely considered to be the zenith of its popularity and cultural dominance within Britain . The work of Jürgen Habermas highlights the period between 1680 and 1730 as a period where the coffee-house acted as a space in which egalitarian public
21
Brian Cowan , “ Publicity and Privacy in the History of the British Coffee-house ,” History Compass 5 / 4 ( 2007 ): 1194-5 .
22
Brian Cowan , The Social Life of Coffee : The Emergence of the British Coffeehouse ( London : Yale University Press , 2005 ): Chapter 6-8 .
23
Cowan , The Social Life of Coffee , 225-33 .