The Westminster Empire, 1717-1858 : Foundation, Structure, and Design

Through primary sources and valuable analysis, this book presents a study and exploration of the foundation, structure, and design of the Westminster Empire and the three stages of empire-building between 1717 and 1858. Westminster’s first stage of empire-building began in 1717 with the systematic transportation of British convicts to the American colonies as a source of labor for British settlers engaged in the plantation economy. Following America’s declaration of independence in 1776, the second stage of Westminster’s empire-building shifted to Australia in 1786. British convicts were transported primarily to New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) to provide their labor for British settlers engaged in, among others, cattle and sheep farming. In 1786, Westminster simultaneously embarked on its third stage of empire-building with the acquiring of Penang. By 1824, the colonies of Malacca (Melaka) and Singapore were acquired from the Dutch following the 1824 Anglo-Dutch treaty. Together with Penang, Malacca (Melaka) and Singapore became known as the Straits Settlements colonies. This book adopts an empirical approach based on primary and archival sources and the focus on empire-building provides an analytical lens into how Westminster structured and designed an empire built on the foundation of taxation. The paramount emphasis in Westminster was on creating profitable and modernized colonies dominated by ‘‘British subjects’’ and colonies that were connected to Westminster within Westminster’s imperial web. The colonies were part of Westminster’s ‘‘taxation network’’ within a wider ‘‘taxation archipelago’’.