See Levellers (disambiguation) for alternative meanings.
The Levellers were a mid 17th century English political party, who came to prominence during the English Civil Wars. Their manifesto involved a remodeling of the English political process along the lines of a more egalitarian, less class-driven regime. They had a large following within the ranks of the New Model Army.
They were labelled 'Levellers' by their enemies, who claimed that they were intent on bringing all down to the lowest common level. This was a charge that they vehemently denied, but they adopted the name because it was how they were known to the majority of people.
The most vocal of the Leveller leaders was John Lilburne. Other leaders included William Walwyn, Thomas Prince, and Richard Overton. "Freeborn" John Lilburne regarded the term “Levellers” to be pejorative. Lilburne called his supporters "Levellers so-called" and preferred to refer to the Levellers as "Agitators".
The Levellers were one of the largest factions on the Parliamentarian side during the English Civil Wars. They were organised at the national level, with offices in a number of London inns and taverns. The Levellers published a newspaper ( The Moderate), and they identified themselves by sea-green ribbons worn on their clothing. The Levellers were extremely well-supported from within the ranks of the New Model Army, (though mainly in the lower ranks - their highest ranking supporter being Colonel Thomas Rainsborough).
The Levellers' political ambitions involved a remodeling of the English political process along the lines of a more egalitarian, less class-driven regime. They held (in the words of Richard Overton) that "by natural birth all men are equally and alike borne to like propriety, liberty and freedom", and that government should be a contract between equal citizens. Their manifesto included: extension of suffrage to all adult males who were neither servants nor alms-takers, biannual or annual elections, complete religious freedom, an end to the censorship of books and newspapers, the abolition of the monarchy and the House of Lords, trial by jury, an end to taxation of people earning less than £30 a year, and a maximum interest rate of six percent.
