On or about July 31, 1703, Daniel Defoe, later the author of “Robinson Crusoe,“ was put in the pillory as punishment for “seditious libel,” for having written a satirical pamphlet defending freedom of religion. His pamphlet, “The Shortest Way with Dissenters,” was an attack on the church and political establishment for suppressing dissent. This was … Continue reading Today in labor history: Daniel Defoe pilloried for defending dissent