Though informed by issues of recent national importance, the bipartisan political culture of Norwich in the 1790s cannot be divorced from local tradition. Two features stand out from a political continuum of three centuries. The first is a dichotomous power balance. From at least the time of the Reformation, Norwich was recorded as a "two-party city". In the mid-16th century, the weaving parishes fell under the control of opposition forces, as Kett's rebels held the north of the river, in support of poor clothworkers. Indeed there seems to be a case for saying that with this tradition of two-sided disputation, the city had steadily developed an infrastructure, evident in its many cultural and institutional networks of politics, religion, society, news media and the arts, whereby argument could be managed short of outright confrontation. Indeed, at a time of hunger and tension on the Norwich streets, with alehouse crowds ready to have "a Minister's head brought to the block", the Anglican and Dissenting clergy exerted themselves to conduct a collegial dialogue, seeking common ground and reinforcing the well-mannered civic tradition of earlier periods.
though informed by issues of recent national importance the bipartisan political culture of norwich in the 1790s cannot be divorced from local tradition two features stand out from a political continuum of three centuries the first is a dichotomous power balance from at least the time of the reformation norwich was recorded as a "two-party city" in the mid-16th century the weaving parishes fell under the control of opposition forces as kett's rebels held the north of the river in support of poor clothworkers indeed there seems to be a case for saying that with this tradition of two-sided disputation the city had steadily developed an infrastructure evident in its many cultural and institutional networks of politics religion society news media and the arts whereby argument could be managed short of outright confrontation indeed at a time of hunger and tension on the norwich streets with alehouse crowds ready to have "a minister's head brought to the block" the anglican and dissenting clergy exerted themselves to conduct a collegial dialogue seeking common ground and reinforcing the well-mannered civic tradition of earlier periods