British conceptions of global empire, 1756–83
British conceptions of global empire, 1756–83
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英国的全球帝国构想，1756-83
DOI：
10.1080/03086539808583038
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发表时间：
1998
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
H. Bowen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
H. Bowen
从1756年七年战争开始到1783年美国独立战争结束，英国的海外帝国大幅扩张，然后随着13个殖民地的丧失而开始部分瓦解。在这个动荡的时期，英国人先是充满信心，然后在危机加剧的气氛中改变了他们对世界的看法，并开始大幅重新定义他们对帝国和帝国主义的看法。在关于贸易价值、殖民地定居以及在海洋环境中行使权力和影响力的长期观点之外，随着领土被征服、收入或“贡品”得到保障以及大量人民在加拿大和印度处于从属地位，又出现了新的、非常不同的治理、统治和至高无上的概念。18世纪60年代，一个扩张的陆地帝国与一个海洋帝国一起迅速形成，这挑战了关于帝国活动的性质、目的和后果的最基本假设。此外，一些英国人也开始在全球范围内更坚定地对海外活动进行概念化。在此过程中，帝国进程的不同部分之间建立了联系;人们试图促进英国海外利益的更好整合;大都会制定了帝国问题的解决方案，以期在更广泛的世界范围内普遍适用。严重的怀疑和不确定性继续影响着当代关于帝国活动的辩论，但是，正如本文所指出的，现在有些人承认，英国拥有一个全球帝国，作为帝国，它代表着分散在世界各地的许多组成部分的总和。
Between the opening of the Seven Years War in 1756 and the end of the War of American Independence in 1783, Britain's overseas empire expanded considerably and then began partially to disintegrate as the thirteen colonies were lost. During this turbulent period, Britons, first in a mood of confidence and then in an atmosphere of gathering crisis, changed their perceptions of the world and began substantially to redefine their ideas about empire and imperialism. To long-standing views about the value of trade, colonies of settlement, and the exertion of power and influence in a maritime context were added new and very different notions of governance, rule, and supremacy which emerged as territory was conquered, revenue or'tribute'was secured, and significant numbers of people were subordinated in Canada and India. An extended empire of land came rapidly into being alongside an empire of the seas during the 1760s, and this challenged the most basic assumptions about the nature, purpose, and consequences of imperial activity. Moreover, some Britons also began to conceptualize overseas activities more firmly within global terms of reference. As they did this, links were established between different parts of the imperial process; attempts were made to facilitate the better integration of Britain's overseas interests; and solutions to the problems of empire were formulated in the metropolis with a view to universal application in the wider world. Serious doubts and uncertainties continued to inform contemporary debate about imperial activity, but, as this article suggests, it was now being acknowledged in some quarters that Britain was in possession of a global empire, which as theempire represented the sum of many constituent parts scattered across the world.