Ever since the successful uprising against the French in 1800, the Maltese educated classes were fully aware of the need to have a say in the public administration of the islands. The bitter experience of French domination showed that the islanders could not rely exclusively On the good will of foreign masters to reach their aspirations. When the British took control of Malta , hopes and expectations were high , but After the end of the Napoleonic era, it did not take long for the Maltese To realize that theirs was to be an uphill struggle. However, they proved To be very willing to Lake up the challenge.peer-reviewe
