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Abstract

The character of the convicts transported to Australia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries has been a source of considerable debate amongst historians. Were the convicts victims of a harsh social system, victims of poverty, professional criminals or workers driven by want to steal? There have been significant changes in historical perceptions of the convicts and this paper investigates the reasons for these shifts and the assumptions about the causes of criminality that have informed this debate.

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The convict origins debate: Historians and the problem of the ‘Criminal Class’

Abstract

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References