Three governments in two decades (1775-1795) accused Quaker William Rotch of disloyalty, interpreting his pacifist universalism as political subversion. Yet his merchant vocation also inspired his cosmopolitanism and infuriated his opponents. Both stories are necessary for a full portrait of the man and a complete understanding of the historical moment.

© 2024 by The New England Quarterly
2024
The New England Quarterly
You do not currently have access to this content.