Disciplining the Empire

In Disciplining the Empire, Volume 1, Sarah Kinkel examines the complex relationship between naval power and political authority in the eighteenth century. While popular history often views the rise of the Royal Navy as an inevitable force, this historical study reveals the intense political debates that shaped British maritime strength. The book explores how advocates for a centralized empire transformed the Navy into a disciplined, hierarchical institution designed to control imperial populations and secure global trade.

This work of naval history and political science analyzes how the professionalization of sea officers sparked constitutional concerns regarding executive power. As the British Navy policed trade in North America, critics viewed these actions as an overreach of military authority over civilian life. Disciplining the Empire provides a detailed look at civil-military relations and the struggle to balance liberty with imperial administration during a period of significant global expansion.