2 - British Colonial Politics in an Age of European War and Creole Rebellion

Summary

‘Colonial politics’ is a category that requires definition. Since historians seldom entirely agree on definitions of ‘empire’ or ‘imperialism’ let alone of ‘colony’ or ‘colonialism’, this can only be a statement of how the term is being used. The primary focus here is on the politics, aspirations and activities of people enjoying a degree of agency who lived in the colonies. Colonial politics are not just their activity within a colony but also the activities by which they tried to influence the formation of policies towards them by their metropolitan sovereign. Colonials were often most effective when acting simultaneously on both fronts. In Great Britain the king retained considerable executive authority after the 1688 Revolution, but the cost of European wars shifted power towards parliament. Although the electorate remained small, the political system was open to influence and manipulation by a much wider range of interests and pressure groups than before 1688.