Jenks, TimothyHazel, Ian2017-01-112019-02-262016-122016-12-15December 2http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6025Over 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.application/pdfenRoyal NavyPress GangMaritimeForced LaborBritish EmpireTransatlanticAtlantic HistoryColonial HistoryGreat Britain--History, Naval--18th centuryImpressment--Great Britain--Public opinionMaster's Thesis2017-01-11