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Article: Radicals and Radicalism
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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RADICALS AND RADICALISM
RADICALS AND RADICALISM.
The word "radical" is popularly used to designate individuals, parties, and movements that wish to alter drastically any existing practice, institution, or social system. In politics, radicals are often seen as individuals and/or parties reflecting "leftist" views. This meaning originated during the French Revolution (1787
–
1789), where those most opposed to the king sat in the National Assembly at the far left, and those most committed to the king at the far right. It is therefore common to designate points on the political spectrum, reading from left to right, as radical, liberal, conservative, and reactionary.
The Nineteenth ...