1703day.year
Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.
In 1703, author Daniel Defoe was punished for seditious libel by being placed in a pillory, only to be cheered with flowers by supportive Londoners.
Daniel Defoe, known for his later novel Robinson Crusoe, wrote a politically satirical pamphlet called 'The Shortest Way with the Dissenters'.
His sharp critique of government policy led to a charge of seditious libel and a sentence in the pillory.
On July 31, 1703, he stood in the pillory at Temple Bar in London before a jeering crowd.
Rather than stones, Defoe was pelted with flowers and verses mocking his critics.
This unusual public reaction highlighted tensions over free expression and dissent in early 18th-century England.
Defoe's resilience in the face of punishment solidified his reputation as a bold writer and political commentator.
1703
Daniel Defoe
pillory
seditious libel
pamphlet