Commerce and consent: Edmund Burke and the imperial problem during the American Revolution, 1757-1775

This is a study of Edmund Burke's early political thought and career, with an emphasis on his understanding of empire at the time of the American Revolution. It underscores the often neglected importance of commerce and consent in Burke's thought. The dissertation covers the period 1757-1775, and deals briefly in its conclusion with Burke's later involvement with America. It contains in a Appendix the first systematic catalog of Burke's library, with a detailed introductory chapter on its contents.;The dissertation opens with an overview of the literature on Burke's contrasting attitudes toward the American Revolution and the French Revolutions. Chapter One ("Burke and the Ancient Constitution Revisited") reviews Burke's understanding of the concept of "ancient constitution" and "prescription" through a study of his neglected historical work An Essay Toward an Abridgement of English History, and links it to the imperial problem. Chapter Two ("Burke, Empire, and the Irish Connection") traces the origins of Burke's imperial vision, based on trade and consent, to his connection with Ireland, with an emphasis on his experience with Irish politics in the early 1760s and his understanding of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Chapter Three ("Burke and Empire before 1763") underscores the formative influence of the Seven Years War and the debates over the Preliminaries of Peace and the retention of Canada on Burke's commercial and political thought, in particular through an examination of the pamphlets attributed to his kinsman William Burke. Chapter four ("Burke and the Stamp Act Debate") deals with the role played by Burke in the first Rockingham ministry of 1765-66, and emphasizes the originality and consistency of the Rockinghamite imperial vision in an overview of their policy of imperial peace, passage of the Declaratory and Revenue Acts of 1766, and total repeal of the Stamp Act. Chapter Five ("Burke, from the Townshend Duties to the Tea Crisis, 1767-1775") analyzes the forces that led to the political retrenchment of the Rochinghamite party and its attitude of "opposition without participation" in Parliament, and reviews Burke's American policy and its evolution throughout the period. The "Conclusion" carries the narrative to 1778 and the beginning of Burke's concern with Irish policy.