Roper, L. H. Advancing Empire: English Interests and Overseas Expansion, 1613-1688. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
L. H. Roper writes a thoroughly researched book on the early years of the British Empire. Roper does not use the kingdom’s perspective but instead looks at the merchants and trade company leaders who expanded the empire in a quest for wealth. Roper argues that the central government in London was reluctant to take the lead in establishing new colonies but instead permitted private individuals to found colonies on their behalf. Tracing the actions of private individuals gives the book a bottom-up approach towards the empire. Roper’s approach breathes life into the empire and shows that the British Empire created in the 18th century was not inevitable. Actions made by private individuals shaped the colonial experience of Britain in the early years of the empire.
Two significant events that occurred in the early stage of the English empire were the English Civil War and the Restoration of Charles II. The English Civil War was a significant moment in the 1600s and marked a detour in the colonial history of England. Colonial leaders, such as Maurice Thompson, detested that Charles I collected tariffs on trade in the colonies but did not keep the army in a position to protect and contest colonial holdings. Thompson was the principal tobacco merchant in Virginia. Thompson held considerable sway in the Americas and circles in London. With his power in both America and England, Thompson was able to rally people to the side of the Parlament in the early 1640s.
The Restoration of Charles II brought the experience of the parliamentary government to an end. With Charles II in the power of England, the colonial experience was similar to the reign of Charles I. Tariffs were collected with all trade from the colonies, and merchants lost a stream of money that was secured between the powers of Charles I and II. The restoration in 1660 sparked an influx in development in Asia. Thompson was appointed to head the East India Company, and investors believed that Thompson would boost the money made by the Company. The Gunia Company in West Africa was also reorganized with a single figure at the head of the Company. English expansion exploded in Asia and Africa during this time, and Charles II watched as his empire grew.
Throughout the book, Roper notes instances where the government in London was dragged into conflict with other European nations by individuals who lived in the colonies or had an economic interest in English expansion. The most prominent example of colonial conflict expanding into a European war was the Second Dutch-Anglo war in 1664. English privateers captured Dutch ships to expand English influence in the Americas and Africa. King Charles I sent a representative to the English African Company to protect them from Dutch incursions. The British sent a force to capture the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Shortly after the capture of New Netherland, England declared war on the Netherlands. The interests of the colonial companies drug England into their second war with the Netherlands.
The government of Charles I granted the power to establish English holdings throughout the Americas, Asia, and Africa to private citizens and had to suffer the consequences of their actions. Throughout the early days of the English empire, colonial companies had few limits on their power in their region of the world. The English colonial Company raised their armies to defend their territorial and economic interests in Asia and India. Colonial companies also had the power to interact with governments in their region. The colonial companies became political entities that could coordinate foreign policy with sovereign nations. The companies did not have to rely on the government in London to conduct trade and policy with sovereign nations and could make policies that benefited them.
Roper provides a fresh outlook on how the English Empire expanded into the larger British Empire in the 18th century. The first three chapters give a perspective on three different regions of English Expansion; America, Africa, and Asia. All three of these regions provided the bases for the English Empire to expand to markets worldwide. Roper brings together previous scholarship to navigate how his work fits into historiography. I appreciated that he included previous scholarship because it provides a basis to understand how Roper sees his work. Having the ability to see how the author views their work offers a window into the author’s thoughts.
Roper uses several sources that bring together government documents and references from nongovernmental sources. Roper does note that previous scholarship has leaned towards government documents and provides a skewed sense of the early English Empire. Previous scholarship shows that the government was the leading proponent of English expansion. However, when one uses nongovernmental sources, a clearer picture is that colonial companies pushed for the growth of English land and markets for their products. The government in London was reactionary towards colonial expansion and conflict. Charles I and II did not take the lead in establishing new colonies throughout the world. Instead, they gave the ability to found colonies to colonial companies that could act on behalf of the king.
Roper provides a fresh outlook on the early years of the English Empire and challenges the previous notion that the king lead colonial expansion. I became lost whenever he introduced new people from the colonial companies throughout some parts of the book. Roper writes in a way that requires some previous knowledge of English colonial history. Some moments are glossed over, and he does not go into detail in those moments. Overall, Advancing Empire is a good book that showcases the pitfalls of previous scholarship and provides answers to fill in the gaps. He gives a new argument that brings to light new sources and argumentation. Without reading Advancing Empire, a clear understanding of the basis of the English Empire would be incomplete with the actions of private citizens pushed to the fringe.
Reviewed by Tyler Thompson.
