Press Gang Revisited: Polarization, Nuance, and the Study of Impressment in the Royal Navy
Author
Hazel, Ian
Abstract
Over the course of the long eighteenth century, Britain grew from an island nation with limited colonial holdings to a transatlantic imperial power. Because of this territorial expansion, the Royal Navy increased dramatically in size. In order to crew the increased number of ships, the ancient practice of impressment — forcing sailors and other maritime laborers into naval service — grew from a seasonal, occasional enterprise to a year-round, constant operation. Impressment was highly controversial, and drew criticism from some members of society, as well as resistance from seamen. This thesis uses long-form primary source documents, such as pamphlets, letters, and memoirs, to reassess the historiographical record and demonstrate that modern authors have created a falsely unambiguous perspective on the practice. Instead, contemporary responses were incredibly nuanced, with sailors, officers, and upper-class members of society all showing complex reactions to the practice.
Date
2016-12-15
Citation:
APA:
Hazel, Ian.
(December 2016).
Press Gang Revisited: Polarization, Nuance, and the Study of Impressment in the Royal Navy
(Master's Thesis, East Carolina University). Retrieved from the Scholarship.
(http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6025.)
MLA:
Hazel, Ian.
Press Gang Revisited: Polarization, Nuance, and the Study of Impressment in the Royal Navy.
Master's Thesis. East Carolina University,
December 2016. The Scholarship.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6025.
September 27, 2023.
Chicago:
Hazel, Ian,
“Press Gang Revisited: Polarization, Nuance, and the Study of Impressment in the Royal Navy”
(Master's Thesis., East Carolina University,
December 2016).
AMA:
Hazel, Ian.
Press Gang Revisited: Polarization, Nuance, and the Study of Impressment in the Royal Navy
[Master's Thesis]. Greenville, NC: East Carolina University;
December 2016.
Collections
Publisher
East Carolina University