A Polite and Commercial People: England 1727-1783Drawing on up-to-date research, this first volume in The New Oxford History of England is the most authoritative and comprehensive general history of England between the accession of George II and the loss of the American colonies. Delving beneath the surface serenity of the age of elegance, Paul Langford reveals a world of simmering discontent in which evangelical enthusiasm clashed with scientific rationalism, aristocratic government with popular insubordination, industrial and imperial expansion with plebian poverty, and sentimentality with utilitarian reform. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
3 The Progress of Politeness | 59 |
4 Industry and Idleness | 123 |
5 Patriotism Unmasked 17421757 | 183 |
6 Salvation by Faith | 235 |
7 The Fortunate Isle | 289 |
8 Patriotism Restored 17571770 | 331 |
10 The Birth of Sensibility | 461 |
11 Britannias Distress 17701783 | 519 |
12 Macaroni Manners | 565 |
13 Opulence and Glory | 615 |
14 This Happy Constitution | 677 |
Chronology | 727 |
Bibliography | 741 |
| 767 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
American aristocratic bill Bishop Britain British Bute Cambridge Church City clergy colonies commercial concern contemporary controversy corruption court criticism debate depended Dissenters Duke Earl early economic Edmund Burke effect election electoral England English Englishmen evangelical excise French friends George II's George III Hanoverian History Horace Walpole House of Commons Howell Harris important increasingly industry interest Jacobite James John Jonas Hanway King King's labour late eighteenth century legislation less London Magazine Lord Lord North manufacturing Memoirs middle-class ministers ministry moral Newcastle North offered opponents Oxford Parliament parliamentary party patriotic Pelham Pitt political poor popular proved reform reign respect Revolution Rockingham royal seemed sense sentimental Seven Years War Soame Jenyns social society success Thomas Tories trade traditional turnpike Vicesimus Knox vols Wales Walpole Walpole's Wesley Westminster Whig Whiggism Wilkes William women