Economic Policy and Projects: The Development of a Consumer Society in Early Modern England

The 16th and 17th centuries in England saw a remarkable diversification of industry fostered largely by the government, which sought to reduce expensive imports and lessen dependence on foreign goods. These new sources of production expanded employment, and thus brought the growing population into the economy and provided for the emergence of a consumer society. Emphasizing the role of labor in creating wealth, political economists thereafter formulated a new view of the economy. This volume provides an insightful analysis of this transformation and looks at the impact new consumer industries had on the English economy and economic ideas.