Politics and the Nation : Britain in the Mid-Eighteenth Century

Harris presents a new picture of political life in mid-eighteenth-century Britain. Drawing on a great deal of original material, the book argues that British politics and political culture in that period have often been poorly understood through overemphasis on stability. Using a thematic approach, it clearly reconstructs a political world in which vital issues continued to exercise the minds and emotions of those who made up the contemporary political nation, a group that included far more than a handful of politicians who competed for national office. The author presents a new picture of political life in mid-eighteenth century Britain, a period of history which is poorly understood. Written in a clear, accessible style, and drawing on much original material, this book argues that British politics and political culture in the mid eighteenth century have often been poorly understood through over-emphasis on'stability'. Using a thematic approach, it reconstructs a political world in which vital issues continued to exercise the minds and emotions of those who made up the contemporary'political nation', a group which included far more than the handful of politicans who competed for national political office. This is a book which interprets its subject broadly, and which seeks to tell the stories of politics in this period through the words and projects, hopes and fears, of contemporaries. It also represents an important contribution to the difficult, but important, project of writing the history of the British Isles. Development in Scotland and Ireland are given careful attention along with those of England. The author presents a new picture of political life in mid-eighteenth century Britain, a period of history which is poorly understood. Written in a clear, accessible style, and drawing on much original material, this book argues that British politics and political culture in the mid eighteenth century have often been poorly understood through over-emphasis on 'stability'. Using a thematic approach, it reconstructs a political world in which vital issues continued to exercise the minds and emotions of those who made up the contemporary 'political nation', a group which included far more than th In this study of British politics and political culture in the 18th-century the author reconstructs a political world in which vital issues continued to exercise the minds and emotions of the contemporary political nation