This comparative legal history project investigates the legal pluralism of the British Empire in early modernity, focusing on the eighteenth century. By analyzing and comparing the Vice-Admiralty Courts established in various colonies (Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and Jamaica), the study examines the production and reproduction of legal argumentation surrounding maritime and merchant law within colonial contexts. This research aims to uncover the legal practices of the British Empire and emphasize the pivotal role its colonies played in shaping the Empire's broader legal development and driving legal change during a period critical to the emergence of legal modernity.

2025

2029