The Nation, the State, and the First Industrial Revolution

T he nation-state has long offered a powerful framework within which to understand modern economic growth. To some it provides "a natural unit in the study of economic growth," especially when measuring such growth; to many others states have often significantly influenced the performance of their economies. 1 On this second point Barry Supple observed that "frontiers are more than lines on a map: they frequently define quite distinctive systems of thought and action. The state is, of course, pre-eminently such a system." 2 In the British case, however, national frontiers have long been highly distinctive, as has recently been made plain by the "new British history" and work by political scientists on devolution since 1997. 3 By exploring patterns of the use of legislation for economic ends, this article considers the implications of such distinctiveness for the relationship between the nation-state and Britain's precocious economy between 1660 and 1800. The focus is mainly upon legislation at Westminster, but comparisons are also made with enactments at Edinburgh and Dublin to enrich the account. It is argued that if