The Royal Navy and the British Atlantic World, c. 1750–1820

This book
foregrounds the role of the Royal Navy in creating the British Atlantic in the
eighteenth century. It outlines the closely entwined connections between the
nurturing of naval supremacy, the politics of commercial protection, and the
development of national and imperial identities – crucial factors in the
consolidation and transformation of the British Atlantic empire. The collection
brings together scholars working on aspects of the Royal Navy and the British
Atlantic in order to gain a better understanding of the ways that the Navy
protected, facilitated, and shaped the British-Atlantic empire in the era of
war, revolution, counter-revolution, and upheaval between the beginning of the
Seven Years War and the end of the conflict with Napoleonic France.
Contributions question the limits – conceptually and geographically – of that
Atlantic world, suggesting that, by considering the Royal Navy and the British
Atlantic together, we can gain greater insights into Britain’s maritime
history.