Joseph Swetnam

Joseph Swetnam (died 1621) was a Renaissance pamphleteer and Jacobean fencing master. He is best known for authoring a misogynistic pamphlet and an early English fencing treatise.

The Pamphlet Wars

Swetnam is best known for his misogynistic authorship as part of the Pamphlet Wars in Renaissance England. These so-called "wars" were fought in writing, by common and unknown writers. The printing press led to an increase in the availability of printed materials, and literate people with the time and means to do so could publish pamphlets for public dissemination. Along with the ease of publishing, the intensity of social and political tensions in 17th-century England cultivated an environment conducive to spirited debates about religion and the "worth of women". Swetnam's pamphlet attacking women was one of the most influential of the era.

The Arraignment of Women (1615)

The arraignment of lewd, idle, froward, and unconstant women was published in 1615 under the pseudonym Thomas Tell-Troth. Despite this attempt at anonymity, Swetnam was quickly known as the true author. (The full title of the original pamphlet was: The araignment of leuud, idle, froward, and vnconstant women : or the vanitie of them, choose you whether : with a commendation of wise, vertuous and honest women : pleasant for married men, profitable for young men, and hurtfull to none.)