Between 1660 and 1700, London established itself as the capital and commercial hub of a thriving Atlantic empire, accounting for three quarters of the nation's colonial trade, and playing a vital coordinating role in an increasingly coherent Atlantic system. Nuala Zahedieh's unique 2010 study provides the first detailed picture of how that mercantile system was made to work. By identifying the leading colonial merchants, she shows through their collective experiences how London developed the capabilities to compete with its continental rivals and ensure compliance with the Navigation Acts. Zahedieh shows that in making mercantilism work, Londoners helped to create the conditions which underpinned the long period of structural change and economic growth which culminated in the Industrial Revolution.
• Uses a detailed statistical database drawn from the London portbooks of 1686, improving knowledge and understanding of structure of London's colonial trade • Identifies leading colonial merchants and provides extensive biographical material • Includes a large number of maps and illustrations to provide the reader with a better understanding of the scale and scope of colonial enterprise
Contents
List of illustrations; List of tables; List of figures; List of maps; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. London and the Atlantic economy; 2. Merchants; 3. Shipping; 4. Imports; 5. Exports; 6. Conclusion; Bibliography.
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