Industry, technology and the political economy of empire : Lancashire industrialists and the cotton supply question, c.1850-1910
The role of nineteenth-century industrialists in British imperial expansion and governance has been debated for many years. Major recent interpretations, such as Peter Cain and Tony Hopkins's 'gentlemanly capitalism' and Gary Magee and Andrew Thompson's 'cultural economy', have conceived industrialists' involvement mostly in terms of promoting manufactured exports. Industrialists' reliance on imported raw materials has however been comparatively neglected. Using the case of study of raw cotton, nineteenth-century Britain's most valuable industrial commodity import, this thesis revises how we understand the contribution Lancashire industrialists made to the formation of imperial policy. Analysing examples from the formal and informal empire in India, Egypt, and sub-Saharan Africa, it shows that interactions between technology, business lobbying, and ideas of political economy fostered cotton-growing schemes. Fluctuations in the quantity and, significantly, the quality of cotton supplies fostered interest in reforming or creating new supply chains, promoting the formation of business associations, pre-eminently the Cotton Supply Association and the British Cotton Growing Association. These associations lobbied
Tate, Jonathan Graham
Cotton trade ; Textile manufacturers ; Economics ; Great Britain
Industry, technology and the political economy of empire : Lancashire industrialists and the cotton supply question, c.1850-1910. The role of nineteenth-century industrialists in British imperial expansion and governance has been debated for many years. Major recent interpretations, such as Peter Cain and Tony Hopkins's 'gentlemanly capitalism' and Gary Magee and Andrew Thompson's 'cultural economy', have conceived industrialists' involvement mostly in terms of promoting manufactured exports. Industrialists' reliance on imported raw materials has however been comparatively neglected. Using the case of study of raw cotton, nineteenth-century Britain's most valuable industrial commodity import, this thesis revises how we understand the contribution Lancashire industrialists made to the formation of imperial policy. Analysing examples from the formal and informal empire in India, Egypt, and sub-Saharan Africa, it shows that interactions between technology, business lobbying, and ideas of political economy fostered cotton-growing schemes. Fluctuations in the quantity and, significantly, the quality of cotton supplies fostered interest in reforming or creating new supply chains, promoting the formation of business associations, pre-eminently the Cotton Supply Association and the British Cotton Growing Association. These associations lobbied
industry technology political_economy empire lancashire cotton supply question role nineteenth_century industrialist british_imperial expansion governance debate many year major recent_interpretation peter capitalism economy conceive industrialist involvement mostly term promote manufacture export reliance import raw_material however comparatively neglect using case_study raw cotton nineteenth_century_britain valuable industrial commodity import revise lancashire industrialist make formation imperial policy analysing example formal_informal empire india egypt sub_saharan africa show interaction technology business ideas political_economy foster cotton growing scheme quantity significantly quality cotton supply foster interest reform create_new supply chain promote formation business association pre cotton supply association british cotton growing association association lobby