The inner life of empires : an eighteenth-century history

"They were abolitionists, speculators, slave owners, government officials, and occasional politicians. They were observers of the anxieties and dramas of empire. And they were from one family. The Inner Life of Empires tells the intimate history of the Johnstones--four sisters and seven brothers who lived in Scotland and around the globe in the fast-changing eighteenth century. Piecing together their voyages, marriages, debts, and lawsuits, and examining their ideas, sentiments, and values, renowned historian Emma Rothschild illuminates a tumultuous period that created the modern economy, the British Empire, and the philosophical Enlightenment. One of the sisters joined a rebel army, was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, and escaped in disguise in 1746. Her younger brother was a close friend of Adam Smith and David Hume. Another brother was fluent in Persian and Bengali, and married to a celebrated poet. He was the owner of a slave known only as "Bell or Belinda," who journeyed from Calcutta to Virginia, was accused in Scotland of infanticide, and was the last person judged to be a slave by a court in the British isles. In Grenada, India, Jamaica, and Florida, the Johnstones embodied the connections between European, American, and Asian empires. Their family history offers insights into a time when distinctions between the public and private, home and overseas, and slavery and servitude were in constant flux. Based on multiple archives, documents, and letters, The Inner Life of Empires looks at one family's complex story to describe the origins of the modern political, economic, and intellectual world"-- Read more... Cover......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 8 INTRODUCTION: IDEAS AND SENTIMENTS......Page 14 CHAPTER ONE: SETTING OUT......Page 24 The Four Sisters and Seven Brothers......Page 28 Difficult Circumstances......Page 36 Tragic News from the Indias......Page 42 The Frontiers of Empire in the West......Page 47 Small Congratulatory Elephants......Page 58 CHAPTER TWO: COMING HOME......Page 72 The Finances of the Family......Page 73 The Politics of the East and West Indies......Page 81 The Arts and Sciences of Enlightenment......Page 89 The Ruins of the Indies......Page 93 Intran Bell alias Belinda......Page 100 Joseph Knight......Page 104 CHAPTER THREE: ENDING AND LOSS......Page 110 The Detritus of Empire......Page 112 The James Johnstones......Page 118 Indian Yellow Satin......Page 122 The Treasurer......Page 125 Distant Destinies......Page 129 CHAPTER FOUR: ECONOMIC LIVES......Page 134 Possible Empires......Page 138 What Is the State?......Page 144 What Was, and What Was Not Law......Page 150 A Society of Persons......Page 154 A Moderate Empire......Page 159 Economic Theories......Page 161 Slavery in the British Empire......Page 167 “This Age of Information”......Page 183 Family Histories......Page 198 Connections of Things......Page 210 Intimate Lives......Page 215 CHAPTER SIX: WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?......Page 223 The Sect of Philosophers......Page 224 The Milieux of Enlightenment: Books and Booksellers......Page 233 Legal Information......Page 237 Clerks and Clerics......Page 244 The Milieux of Political Thought......Page 252 The Atmosphere of Society......Page 260 The Enlightenment of the Johnstones......Page 265 The Coexistence of Enlightenment and Oppression......Page 271 The Eye of the Mind......Page 276 The History of the Human Mind......Page 279 Family Secrets......Page 283 The Discontinuity of Size and Scenes......Page 290 The Incompleteness of Information......Page 292 CHAPTER EIGHT: OTHER PEOPLE......Page 297 The Johnstones and the Mind......Page 298 Intran Bell alias Belinda......Page 304 Other People......Page 312 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 316 APPENDIX......Page 320 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 322 NOTES......Page 324 MAPS......Page 476 B......Page 482 C......Page 483 D......Page 484 E......Page 485 H......Page 486 J......Page 487 M......Page 491 O......Page 492 P......Page 493 S......Page 494 T......Page 495 W......Page 496 The birth of the modern world as told through the remarkable story of one eighteenth-century family They were abolitionists, speculators, slave owners, government officials, and occasional politicians. They were observers of the anxieties and dramas of empire. And they were from one family. The Inner Life of Empires tells the intimate history of the Johnstones - four sisters and seven brothers who lived in Scotland and around the globe in the fast-changing eighteenth century. Piecing together their voyages, marriages, debts, and lawsuits, and examining their ideas, sentiments, and values, renowned historian Emma Rothschild illuminates a tumultuous period that created the modern economy, the British Empire, and the philosophical Enlightenment. One of the sisters joined a rebel army, was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, and escaped in disguise in 1746. Her younger brother was a close friend of Adam Smith and David Hume. Another brother was fluent in Persian and Bengali, and married to a celebrated poet. He was the owner of a slave known only as Bell or Belinda, who journeyed from Calcutta to Virginia, was accused in Scotland of infanticide, and was the last person judged to be a slave by a court in the British isles. In Grenada, India, Jamaica, and Florida, the Johnstones embodied the connections between European, American, and Asian empires. Their family history offers insights into a time when distinctions between the public and private, home and overseas, and slavery and servitude were in constant flux. Based on multiple archives, documents, and letters, The Inner Life of Empires looks at one family's complex story to describe the origins of the modern political, economic, and intellectual world. "They were abolitionists, speculators, slave owners, government officials, and occasional politicians. They were observers of the anxieties and dramas of empire. And they were from one family. The Inner Life of Empires tells the intimate history of the Johnstones--four sisters and seven brothers who lived in Scotland and around the globe in the fast-changing eighteenth century. Piecing together their voyages, marriages, debts, and lawsuits, and examining their ideas, sentiments, and values, renowned historian Emma Rothschild illuminates a tumultuous period that created the modern economy, the British Empire, and the philosophical Enlightenment. One of the sisters joined a rebel army, was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, and escaped in disguise in 1746. Her younger brother was a close friend of Adam Smith and David Hume. Another brother was fluent in Persian and Bengali, and married to a celebrated poet. He was the owner of a slave known only as "Bell or Belinda," who journeyed from Calcutta to Virginia, was accused in Scotland of infanticide, and was the last person judged to be a slave by a court in the British isles. In Grenada, India, Jamaica, and Florida, the Johnstones embodied the connections between European, American, and Asian empires. Their family history offers insights into a time when distinctions between the public and private, home and overseas, and slavery and servitude were in constant flux. Based on multiple archives, documents, and letters, The Inner Life of Empires looks at one family's complex story to describe the origins of the modern political, economic, and intellectual world"-- Résumé de l'éditeur "They were abolitionists, speculators, slave owners, government officials, and occasional politicians. They were observers of the anxieties and dramas of empire. And they were from one family. The Inner Life of Empires tells the intimate history of the Johnstones--four sisters and seven brothers who lived in Scotland and around the globe in the fast-changing eighteenth century. Piecing together their voyages, marriages, debts, and lawsuits, and examining their ideas, sentiments, and values, renowned historian Emma Rothschild illuminates a tumultuous period that created the modern economy, the British Empire, and the philosophical Enlightenment. One of the sisters joined a rebel army, was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, and escaped in disguise in 1746. Her younger brother was a close friend of Adam Smith and David Hume. Another brother was fluent in Persian and Bengali, and married to a celebrated poet. He was the owner of a slave known only as "Bell or Belinda," who journeyed from Calcutta to Virginia, was accused in Scotland of infanticide, and was the last person judged to be a slave by a court in the British isles. In Grenada, India, Jamaica, and Florida, the Johnstones embodied the connections between European, American, and Asian empires. Their family history offers insights into a time when distinctions between the public and private, home and overseas, and slavery and servitude were in constant flux. Based on multiple archives, documents, and letters, The Inner Life of Empires looks at one family's complex story to describe the origins of the modern political, economic, and intellectual world"-- Provided by publisher They Were Abolitionists, Speculators, Slave Owners, Government Officials, And Occasional Politicians. They Were Observers Of The Anxieties And Dramas Of Empire. And They Were From One Family. The Inner Life Of Empires Tells The Intimate History Of The Johnstones--four Sisters And Seven Brothers Who Lived In Scotland And Around The Globe In The Fast-changing Eighteenth Century. Piecing Together Their Voyages, Marriages, Debts, And Lawsuits, And Examining Their Ideas, Sentiments, And Values, Renowned Historian Emma Rothschild Illuminates A Tumultuous Period That Created The Modern Economy, The British Empire, And The Philosophical Enlightenment. One Of The Sisters Joined A Rebel Army, Was Imprisoned In Edinburgh Castle, And Escaped In Disguise In 1746. Her Younger Brother Was A Close Friend Of Adam Smith And David Hume. Another Brother Was Fluent In Persian And Bengali, And Married To A Celebrated Poet. He Was The Owner Of A Slave Known Only As Bell Or Belinda, Who Journeyed From Calcutta To Virginia, Was Accused In Scotland Of Infanticide, And Was The Last Person Judged To Be A Slave By A Court In The British Isles. In Grenada, India, Jamaica, And Florida, The Johnstones Embodied The Connections Between European, American, And Asian Empires. Their Family History Offers Insights Into A Time When Distinctions Between The Public And Private, Home And Overseas, And Slavery And Servitude Were In Constant Flux. Based On Multiple Archives, Documents, And Letters, The Inner Life Of Empires Looks At One Family's Complex Story To Describe The Origins Of The Modern Political, Economic, And Intellectual World-- Emma Rothschild.