The word "privateer" conjures a romantic image in the minds of most Americans. Tales of battle and bounty pervade the folklore of privateering, which has become a cherished, if often overlooked part of our shared heritage. Legends were forged during the battle for American independence, and t...

The European scene at the beginning of the eighteenth century is much different than it is today. Densely populated cities in countries such as England and France were merely farm towns two hundred years ago. What caused what used to be cultivated open fields to turn into populous towns? These quest...

Non-harmonisation of indirect taxes within the EU is a problem Brussels appears to be having much difficulty dealing with. Taxation upon fuel, tobacco, and alcohol, as well as Value Added Tax (VAT) are but some of the categories that fall under the banner of indirect taxation, and with each respecte...

Creating Britain was a task that would involve a tenacious and often tyrannous effort by monarchs, politicians, and defenders of England. This essay will give an account of how the unification of the kingdoms of England and Scotland was succeeded in 1603 and then compare and contrast this with the s...

In today's world you do not have to look very far to see things that very well could have come out of George Orwell's novel 1984. The world is globalizing at an expontential rate compared to years past. With the advent and widespread use of the Internet and inter-continental travel the need for he...

The Rise and Fall of The British Empire Britain began to become an empire as early as the seventeenth century, and it lasted until the mid nineteenth century. The Empire survived many obstacles and rulers. Some rulers however strengthened the Empire and Britain in general. During the sevente...

1 At the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe was composed of a complex system of alliances of different ideas, attitudes and fears. The flimsy stability of the European status quo shifted one way or the other with the slightest breath of wind. The cement holding this fragile structure tog...

Introduction With the ongoing battles between England and France in the early 19th century, the newly formed United States found itself thrust in the middle of this struggle. In the early part of the century Napoleon was on a mission to once again establish a mighty French empire of early years...

Traditional Manufacturing Systems Traditional European manufacturing was carried on in 2 different systems. Gild and cottage industry. Gild was placed in towns and cities, cottage in largely rural areas. The gild was a professional organization of free artisans skilled in a particular craft. ...