All that glittered : Britain's most precious metal from Adam Smith to the Gold Rush / Timothy Alborn.

9780190603540 (electronic book)

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2019.

English

1 online resource : illustrations.

HG295.G7 A43 2019

332.40420941

From the early eighteenth century into the 1830s, Great Britain was the only major country in the world to adopt gold as the sole basis of its currency, in the process absorbing much of the world's supply of that metal into its pockets, cupboards, and coffers. During the same period, Britons forged a nation by distilling a heady brew of Protestantism, commerce, and military might, while preserving important features of its older social hierarchy. 'All That Glittered' argues for a close connection between these occurrences, by linking justifications for gold's role in British society-starting in the 1750s and running through the mid-nineteenth century gold rushes in California and Australia-to contemporary descriptions of that metal's varied values at home and abroad.

From the early eighteenth century into the 1830s, Great Britain was the only major country in the world to adopt gold as the sole basis of its currency, in the process absorbing much of the world's supply of that metal into its pockets, cupboards, and coffers. During the same period, Britons forged a nation by distilling a heady brew of Protestantism, commerce, and military might, while preserving important features of its older social hierarchy. 'All That Glittered' argues for a close connection between these occurrences, by linking justifications for gold's role in British society-starting in the 1750s and running through the mid-nineteenth century gold rushes in California and Australia-to contemporary descriptions of that metal's varied values at home and abroad.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Access limited to authorized users.

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on July 30, 2019).

Oxford scholarship online.

Print version: 9780190603519

Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources