Initially a hatter by trade, at a young age Manchester-born James Cheetham (1772 - 1810) became a member of the Constitutional Society, a radical, anti-government organisation. He was arrested with other members in 1793, charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government, but was freed due to lack of evidence. Following the Manchester Riots he relocated to New York, where affiliated himself with the Republican cause. He showed a talent for factionalism and invective as editor of The American Citizen and The American Watchman. He met Thomas Paine in 1802, whom he admired from his Manchester days. Friends for a while, Paine's unpleasantness eventually turned admiration into contempt, resulting in an angry biography of his former hero.
