Synopses & Reviews
This book examines one of the most dynamic groups in early modern Britain, the overseas merchants of the City of London. Historians have increasingly recognized their key contribution to the nation's emergence as an imperial power and commercial society, but we still lack a clear picture of their activities within their natural City habitat. Rising from the ruins of the Great Fire, the 'Square Mile' was the scene of changes of profound significance for society as a whole, and contemporaries recognized the unique qualities of this potent environment. It will be re-created here by studying merchants at home, in the workplace, and through all other arenas of activity and association. These experiences are then linked to their contribution to broader social and political developments, in order to illuminate their response to the challenges and opportunities of the age. The working City has suffered relative neglect compared to the fashionable West End. This book demonstrates that this equally cosmopolitan and competitive arena had just as important an impact on the nation at large. By 1800 London could claim pre-eminence as an international centre of commerce and finance, and its merchants were vital to that achievement. The nineteenth century would see these great traders depart to the suburbs, and the port itself move to the east, but the character of the modern City still owes much to these eighteenth-century commercial leaders.
Synopsis
This book examines one of the most dynamic groups in early modern Britain, the overseas merchants of the City of London. Historians have increasingly recognized their key contribution to the nation's emergence as an imperial power and commercial society, but we still lack a clear picture of their activities within their natural City habitat. Rising from the ruins of the Great Fire, the 'Square Mile' was the scene of changes of profound significance for society as a whole, and contemporaries recognized the unique qualities of this potent environment. It will be re-created here by studying merchants at home, in the workplace, and through all other arenas of activity and association. These experiences are then linked to their contribution to broader social and political developments, in order to illuminate their response to the challenges and opportunities of the age. The working City has suffered relative neglect compared to the fashionable West End. This book demonstrates that this equally cosmopolitan and competitive arena had just as important an impact on the nation at large. By 1800 London could claim pre-eminence as an international centre of commerce and finance, and its merchants were vital to that achievement. The nineteenth century would see these great traders depart to the suburbs, and the port itself move to the east, but the character of the modern City still owes much to these eighteenth-century commercial leaders.
Table of Contents
Preface 1. The Phoenix (setting the scene with the City's recovery after the Great Fire)2. The Mercantile City3. The Royal Exchange4. The Hurry of Business5. The Profession6. Making It in the City7. The Merchant and Finance8. The Merchant Politician9. London Triumphant