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Enlightened Dissent: the Voices of Anti-Imperialism in Eighteenth Century Britain Andrew Victor Gaiero Thesis Submitted to the F

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Enlightened Dissent: the Voices of Anti-Imperialism in Eighteenth Century Britain Andrew Victor Gaiero Thesis Submitted to the F Enlightened Dissent: The voices of anti-imperialism in eighteenth century Britain Andrew Victor Gaiero Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Philosophy degree in History Department of History Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Andrew Victor Gaiero, Ottawa, Canada, 2016 ii ABSTRACT “Enlightened Dissent: The voices of anti-imperialism in eighteenth century Britain” Author: Andrew Gaiero Supervisor: Richard Connors Submission Year: 2016 This dissertation explores and analyzes anti-imperial sentiments in Britain throughout the long eighteenth century. During this period of major British state formation and imperial expansion, there were a surprisingly large number of observers who voiced notable and varied concerns and opposition towards numerous overseas ventures, yet who have not since received significant attention within the historical record. Indeed, many critics of British imperialism and empire-building, from within Britain itself, formed extensive and thoughtful assessments of their own nation’s conduct in the world. Criticism ranged widely, from those who opposed the high economic costs of imperial expansion to those worried that a divine retribution would rain down upon Britain for injustices committed by Britons abroad. Such diversity of anti-imperial perspectives came from a clearly enlightened minority, whose limited influences upon broader public opinions had little effect on policies at the time. Successive British administrations and self-interested Britons who sought their fortunes and adventures abroad, often with little regard for the damage inflicted on those whom they encountered, won the political debate over empire- building. However, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, the perspectives of many of these individuals would increasingly become highly regarded. Later generations of reformers, particularly “Little Englanders”, or classical liberals and radicals, would look back reverently to these critics to draw inspiration for refashioning the empire and Britain’s position in the world. These eighteenth century ideas continued to present powerful counter-arguments to the trends then in place and served to inspire those, in the centuries that followed, who sought to break the heavy chains of often despotic colonial rule and mitigate the ravages of war and conquest. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I now realize that when I was originally inquiring as to the possibility of working on a dissertation of this nature, and first committed to working on this project, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. In the years since then, I have learned much more than I ever even anticipated and have enjoyed the support of a great many individuals, all of whom deserve my enduring gratitude. In particular, I wish to acknowledge my doctoral supervisor, Dr. Richard Connors. I have often thought back to when I initially contacted him and when he agreed to supervise this research. I remember being thoroughly impressed by his thoughtful intellectual engagement right from the very beginning. Throughout the project he has shown this same level of remarkable and unwavering dedication, as he does with all his many other students. The guidance and support he has provided me, over the course of this endeavour, has been absolutely tremendous and I simply could not have asked for a better supervisor. I would also like to extend my gratitude more broadly to the excellent faculty and staff in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa, who have built such a supportive learning environment and assisted me greatly throughout this research project. Additionally, I would like to recognize the helpful staff at the British Library; the Baker Library at Harvard University; and the Lewis Walpole Library for their assistance during the course of my research. I also want to express my ongoing appreciation towards my doctoral examiners, who generously provided me thoughtful and engaging feedback on this dissertation and whose insightful comments assisted me during the final stages of this process. Thank you to professors Sylvie Perrier and Lofti Ben Rejeb, from the History Department; Frans De Bruyn, from the English Department, and Sandra den Otter, from Queen’s University. They have all been iv tremendously supportive of this study. The revisions made as a result of their observations have helped to improve this work and encouraged me to think about the possibilities for future research and publications. I want to acknowledge all my family and friends for their ongoing love and support while I undertook this extensive research project. I especially want to thank my partner Megan, who has provided me encouragement on a daily basis and been my biggest supporter throughout. I also thank my parents, who long ago inspired my love of reading and promoted a lifetime of learning; my brother and sister, who have challenged me intellectually, as experts in completely unrelated fields; and my grandmother, who loves to talk about British history with me. As well, I want to recognize the many great educators I have encountered over the course of many years, and who encouraged me in my academic growth, including the faculties at both McMaster University and Brock University, where I early on developed an interest in this subject material. Funding for this doctoral dissertation has come from a wide range of sources, all of which deserve my gratitude. In particular, I would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Government of Ontario, through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and the Department of History at the University of Ottawa, as well as the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) at George Mason University, for providing their financial support throughout the course of this study. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: QUESTIONING THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF EMPIRE ............ 39 DEBATING DEMOGRAPHY AND THE UTILITY OF COLONIES ................................... 41 ON THE NATURE OF THE EMPIRE TRADE ...................................................................... 78 FINANCIAL BURDENS OF EMPIRE AND THE FISCAL-MILITARY STATE ............... 113 CHAPTER TWO: CHALLENGING BIG SUGAR AND THE SLAVE TRADE .............. 132 JOSEPH MASSIE CONFRONTS THE SUGAR PLANTATION COMPLEX ..................... 134 THE FIRST CARIB WAR ...................................................................................................... 152 WARNINGS ON EMPIRE (COMING HOME) .................................................................... 158 THE WEST INDIA INTEREST AND MASSIE’S REFORM PROGRAM ......................... 164 COLONIES VS. TRADE AND HUMANITY ....................................................................... 173 SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE ................................................................................ 180 CHAPTER THREE: ADDRESSING PROBLEMS OF DOMINION IN THE AMERICAS ................................................................................................................ 202 THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF COLONIES ....................................................................... 203 ON WAR, DOMINION, AND DISPOSSESSION ................................................................. 225 ADVOCATING COLONIAL EMANCIPATION .................................................................. 265 CHAPTER FOUR: DROWNING IN THE MONSOONS OF ORIENTAL DESPOTISM AND IMPERIAL CORRUPTION .................................................................. 296 DEBATING THE EIC MONOPOLY ..................................................................................... 298 CORRUPTION, ECONOMIC CRISIS, AND COMPANY REFORM .................................. 329 RADICAL AND RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION ....................................................................... 350 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 376 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 384 1 INTRODUCTION Many scholars have been captivated by the ironic observation of the late nineteenth century imperial historian John Robert Seeley that the British “conquered and peopled half the world in a fit of absence of mind”.1 This often quoted phrase has commonly served as a starting point for an analysis of the philosophical justifications and legal legitimization that British imperialists and apologists have offered for the expansion of the British Empire between the seventeenth and the early twentieth centuries.2 But what of those who questioned or criticized the emergence of empire, and why, during the same period? Despite post-colonial developments and a burgeoning literature on the impact of the British
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