British Foreign Policy in the Age of the American Revolution

Download or read book British Foreign Policy in the Age of the American Revolution written by Hamish M. Scott and published by Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press ; Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first detailed and comprehensive study of British foreign policy before and during the war which led to the loss of the American colonies, a period from 1756 to 1783 in which Britain's position in Europe was transformed. H. M. Scott examines the nature and the role of British diplomacy in the age of the American Revolution in the context of Britain's other eighteenth-century conflicts. Two themes receive particular attention: Britain's continuing rivalry with the Bourbons, exemplified by the great crisis over the Falkland Islands in 1770-1, and the unsuccessful efforts to strengthen Britain diplomatically by concluding alliances with major Continental powers. Dr Scott has provided a major scholarly reassessment of British diplomacy in this period, analysing both the impact of the personalities involved, and the successes and failures of their policies.