Disciplining the Empire: Politics, Governance and the Rise of the British Navy

摘要

In this important dissection of the British sea power empire of the 18th century, Sarah Kinkel emphasizes the contested role of the Royal Navy in British and Colonial politics. The creation of a Constitutional Monarchy after 1688 saw the Royal Navy fall under control of Parliament, a legislature in which the men of trade and commerce, as well as those of land and agriculture, exercised a degree of power. The new state had a national debt, which was supported by the City of London, commercial profits, and landed wealth, while the Bank of England regulated the system. The new funding streams were used to defeat the hegemonic ambitions of Louis XIV and Bourbon France and to secure a greater share of world trade. In both roles naval power proved critical.