The Rebecca Riots, an uprising of oppressed peasantry against the burden of tollgates in west Wales, began in the summer of 1839. After only a few months, they ceased as suddenly as they had started and for three-and-a-half years, the countryside was undisturbed. Then, in the winter of 1842, rioting broke out again--with greater violence. This study explores the deep-seated roots of these uprisings. "It is safe to say that Professor Williams's excellently written and dispassionate account of the riots and their background is likely to remain the final word on the subject."--Times Literary Supplement