Spithead Mutiny of 1797 was a protest by seamen of the British Channel Fleet over pay and working conditions. Seamen’s pay had not increased since the late 1600’s and was often years overdue. The men were badly fed and lived in crowded, unhealthy conditions. Harsh discipline resulted in men being flogged to death for minor offenses.
The mutiny broke out in April 1797 at Spithead, near Portsmouth, England, when the Channel Fleet refused to put to sea. At the time, Britain (now the United Kingdom) was at war with France. Elected delegates from among the mutineers and representatives of the British Admiralty—the government department in charge of naval affairs— negotiated a resolution to the protest. As a result, the Admiralty recommended to Parliament that the seamen receive a pay increase and better living conditions. The mutineers received a royal pardon for their part in the revolt.
