Merely for Money? – Business Culture in the British Atlantic, 1750 – 1815

In 1780 Richard Sheridan noted that merchants worked “merely for money.” This, however, was a recognition of the important commercial role that merchants played in the British Empire at that time. To understand this business culture, Sheryllynne Haggerty closely examines the themes of risk, trust, reputation, obligation, and networks to demonstrate how contemporary merchants managed their businesses. The result is an accessible book that takes an interdisciplinary approach to argue that the culture of the British mercantile community not only facilitated business but helped it to cope with shortterm crises and long-term changes.