The Drapier's Letters

Drapier's Letters is the collective name for a series of seven pamphlet written by the Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Jonathan Swift. The letters were written, between 1724 and 1725, in order to arouse public opinion in Ireland against the imposition of a privately minted copper coinage, which Swift believed to be of inferior quality. William Wood was granted a patent to mint the coin, and Swift saw the licensing of the patent to Wood as corrupt. In response to Wood's patent, the Drapier's Letters emphasize the constitutional and financial independence of the Irish kingdom. Since this subject was politically sensitive, Swift wrote under the pseudonym M. B. Drapier to hide from retaliation. Although the letters were condemned by the Irish government with prompting from the English government, Swift's letters were still able to inspire popular sentiment against Wood and his patent. The popular sentiment turned into a nation wide boycott, which forced the patent to be withdrawn; Swift... full article at wikipedia