British History in Perspective

1 total work

Robert Walpole and the Nature of Politics in Early Eighteenth Century England

by Professor Jeremy Black

Published 19 October 1990

Few would have predicted at the end of the troubled seventeenth- century that Britain would emerge as a leading power in Europe, ruler of a vast Empire, and as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. There was nothing inevitable about this transition to stability. It was a political achievement, the product of a number of individuals, above all Sir Robert Walpole. In this volume, Jeremy Black examines in detail how Walpole was able to achieve this success. By considering Walpole's career against a longer timescale of British history this volume not only clarifies his immense achievement but also throws valuable light on the political structure and political culture of eighteenth-century Britain.