On This Day
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Spithead Mutiny begins: British Royal Navy sailors protest over living and working conditions and pay near Portsmouth

The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. They were the first in an increasing series of outbreaks of maritime radicalism in the Atlantic World.

The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. They were the first in an increasing series of outbreaks of maritime radicalism in the Atlantic World. Despite their temporal proximity, the mutinies differed in character. The Spithead mutiny was a simple, peaceful, successful strike action to address economic grievances, while the Nore mutiny was a more radical action, articulating political ideals as well, which failed.

The mutinies were extremely concerning for Britain, because at the time the country was at war with Revolutionary France, and the Navy was the main component of the war effort.

Historical Significance

The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797.

Events Before

  1. Napoléon Bonaparte is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French Army in Italy

    The Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1801) were a series of conflicts fought principally in Northern Italy between the French Revolutionary Army and a Coalition of Austria,…

  2. Napoléon Bonaparte (26) marries his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (32), changing her name from Rose

    Napoléon Bonaparte (26) marries his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (32), changing her name from Rose

  3. English country doctor Edward Jenner administers his revolutionary cowpox-based vaccine for smallpox in Berkeley, Glouce

    English country doctor Edward Jenner administers his revolutionary cowpox-based vaccine for smallpox in Berkeley, Gloucestershire

  4. Armand-Gaston Camus becomes chairman of the Council of 500

    Armand-Gaston Camus becomes chairman of the Council of 500

  5. The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York

    York was a town and the second capital of the colony of Upper Canada. It is the predecessor to the old city of Toronto (1834–1998).

Events After

  1. Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

    Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

  2. US Sedition Act prohibits "any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the government

    US Sedition Act prohibits "any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the government

  3. 11th Amendment ratified, judicial powers construed

    11th Amendment ratified, judicial powers construed

  4. Coup d'état in Batavian Republic

    The Batavian Republic (Dutch: Bataafse Republiek; French: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

  5. Rep Matthew Lyon (Vt) spits in face of Rep Roger Griswold (Ct) in US House of Representatives, after an argument

    Rep Matthew Lyon (Vt) spits in face of Rep Roger Griswold (Ct) in US House of Representatives, after an argument

More from the 1790s

Albany replaces New York City as the capital of New York

Albany ( AWL-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in, Albany County.

Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

First US President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address

The 1790 State of the Union Address was the inaugural State of the Union address, delivered by President George Washington to the United States Congress on January 8, 1790, at the Senate Chamber of…

French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution

Louis XVI was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 16, 1797?
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. They were the first in an increasing series of outbreaks of maritime radicalism in the Atlantic World. Despite their temporal proximity, the mutinies differed in character.
Why is Spithead Mutiny begins: British Royal Navy sailors protest over living and wo... significant?
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797.

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April 16 in HistoryYear 1797