BRITAIN AT MID CENTURY

I. Global Expansion

a. Geography

i. Strategically located to influence ship trade within Europe and Atlantic

b. Success in War

i. Won many wars

1. Treaty of Utrecht – get New Foundland from France

2. monopoly of slave trade in Spanish America

3. Seven Years War

a. Treaty of Paris – 1763 – get Canada from France

ii. British East India Company push France out of India

iii. Had small army but large navy

1. Questions: Why would England be able to focus on navy? Why wouldn’t other nations? How does this give a England dominant strentgth?

c. Favorable business climate

i. Fewer restrictions on trade, more positive attitude to it

d. Union with Scotland

i. Act of Union 1707 – creates United Kingdom

1. increases trade and manufacturing base

e. Ireland

i. Dominated Ireland ruthlessly and prevented its development

II. Growth of Constitutional Government

a. Constitutional government – power defined and limited by law

i. No one written document – series of documents and traditions like Magna Carta

b. Political Parties

i. Tories – conservative, old wealth, land, favor increase royal power and church control

ii. Whigs – liberal, urban, business orientated, religious toleration (for Protestants) and Parliament over king

1. dominate Parliament in 1700’s

iii. were factions of wealthy, did not represent voters or average person

c. Cabinet System

i. George I was German relied on small group of advisors that became Cabinet

ii. Cabinet become leader of House of Commons

iii. Also known as parliamentary system

d. Prime Minister

i. Leader of majority party in Parliament

ii. Robert Walpole 1721-1742 first Prime Minister

III. Politics and Society

a. Ruling elite

i. House of Lords

1. landowning lords

ii. House of Commons

1. wealthy business owners and city politicians

b. Other Classes

i. Most had desperate existence

ii. Evicted from lands and forced to move to towns

iii. Middle class slowly emerge from business and trade

IV. George III Reasserts Royal Power

a. George III – 1760-1820 reign

i. Wanted to increase royal power and eliminate Parliament

b. Personal will

i. Tried to pack Parliament with his friends

ii. Seven Years War with France

1. force colonists to pay for war

2. leads to American Revolution

c. Cabinet Rule Restored

i. Loss of colonies allowed for cabinet to reassert itself