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William Beckford : first prime minister of the London empire

This biography of William Beckford provides a unique look at 18th-century British history from the perspective of the colonies.This first-ever biography of William Beckford provides a unique look at eighteenth-century British history from the perspective of the colonies. Even in his own time, Beckford was seen as a metaphor for the dramatic changes occurring during this era. He was born in 1709 into a family of wealthy sugar planters living in Jamaica, when the colonies were still peripheral to Britain. By the time he died in 1770, the colonies loomed large and were considered the source of Britain's growing global power. Beckford grew his fortune in Jamaica, but he spent most of his adult life in London, where he was elected Lord Mayor twice. He was one of the few politicians to have experienced imperial growing pains on both sides of the Atlantic, and his life offers a riveting look at how the expanding empire challenged existing political, social, and cultural norms.

Online EBSCO Academic Comprehensive Collection

Politics of Trade, The.

This book examines the political and social impact of the English overseas merchant during this key era of state development. Historians have increasingly recognized the significance of this period as one of commercial and political transition, but relatively little thought has been given to the perspective of the overseas traders, whose activities transended these dynamic arenas. Analsis of the role of merchants in public life highlights their important contribution to England's rise as a commercial power of the first rank, and illuminates the fundamerntal political changes of the time. Case-This book examines the political and social impact of the English overseas merchant during this key era of state development. Historians have increasingly recognized the significance of this period as one of commercial and political transition, but relatively little thought has been given to the perspective of the overseas traders, whose activities transended these dynamic arenas. Analsis of the role of merchants in public life highlights their important contribution to England's rise as a commercial power of the first rank, and illuminates the fundamerntal political changes of the time. Case-studies of London, Liverpool, and York reveal the intricate workings of mercantile politics, while studies of the press and Parliament illustrate the increasing prominence of the trader on the national stage. The author's pioneering approach shows how crucial the political accomodation which the merchant class secured with the landed gentry was to the country's success in the eighteenth century.

Online Ebook Central

Politics and society in Great Yarmouth, 1660-1722

This is the first intensive study of the political development of a major English town during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Perry Gauci examines the activities of the local oligarchy over a period which begins in upheaval, in the aftermath of civil war, and ends in the relative stability of early Georgian England. He brings a fresh perspective to such important episodes as the borough regulation of the 1680s, and the 'rage of party' after 1689, by broadening the sphere of 'politics' to encompass provincial experiences. He examines the role of the town corporation, a little-studied organ of local government, whose membership reveals much about the relationship between social and political change in this period. Gauci challenges accepted views on these corporations, showing them to be much more dynamic, and less self-interested, than is usually supposed. His analysis of the structures of local politics transcends local history and reveals a great deal about the influence of national authorities over provincial life. It is a significant contribution to the urban history of England.