Life after Gravity: Isaac Newton's London Career

During his early fifties, Isaac Newton spent three decades in London, participating in Enlightenment politics and social affairs. He was knighted by Queen Anne and was a close ally of Whig politicians. Newton was also a major investor in the East India Company, benefiting from the global trading networks that relied on selling African captives to wealthy plantation owners in the Americas. Patricia Fara's book reveals Newton's life as a cosmopolitan gentleman, focusing on a Hogarth painting of an elite Hanoverian drawing room.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The story of Isaac Newton's decades in London is a fascinating and complex tapestry that encompasses his roles as an ambitious cosmopolitan gentleman, President of London's Royal Society, Master of the Mint, and investor in the slave trade. While Newton is celebrated worldwide for his groundbreaking contributions to science, his early fifties marked a significant shift in his life, as he abandoned his life as a reclusive university scholar to immerse himself in the vibrant metropolis of London. During this period, Newton actively engaged in the intertwined realms of early science and imperialist capitalism, navigating the social and political landscape of the Enlightenment era.

In contrast to the quiet cloisters and dark libraries of Cambridge's all-male world, Newton now moved in fashionable London society, characterized by patronage relationships, sexual intrigues, and ruthless ambition. Knighted by Queen Anne, Newton occupied a powerful position as President of London's Royal Society, a prestigious scientific institution that played a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge during the Enlightenment. He also became Master of the Mint, responsible for the nation's money at a time of financial crisis. Newton's financial fortunes fluctuated, as he made and lost small fortunes on the stock market, demonstrating his keen business acumen and risk-taking nature.

A significant investor in the East India Company, Newton benefited from the global trading networks that relied on selling African captives to wealthy plantation owners in the Americas. He was responsible for monitoring the import of African gold to be melted down for English guineas, contributing to the economic prosperity of both England and the East India Company. Patricia Fara's book, "Newton: The Slave Trade and the British Empire," delves into Newton's life as a cosmopolitan gentleman by focusing on a Hogarth painting of an elite Hanoverian drawing room. Gazing down from the mantelpiece, a bust of Newton looms over an aristocratic audience watching their children perform a play about European colonialism and the search for gold.

The painting, packed with Newtonian imagery, depicts the complex web of relationships and power dynamics that characterized Newton's life in London. It highlights his involvement in the slave trade, which was a controversial and morally ambiguous aspect of his career. While Newton's scientific achievements are undeniable, his involvement in the slave trade raises questions about his moral compass and the impact of his actions on the lives of enslaved people.

In conclusion, Isaac Newton's decades in London were a period of immense growth and transformation. As a reclusive scholar, he abandoned his life to immerse himself in the vibrant metropolis of London, where he engaged in the intertwined realms of science, politics, and commerce. Newton's life as a cosmopolitan gentleman was characterized by patronage relationships, sexual intrigues, and ruthless ambition, as he navigated the social and political landscape of the Enlightenment era. His involvement in the slave trade, while controversial, sheds light on the complex web of relationships and power dynamics that shaped his life and the broader British Empire.

Weight: 428g
Dimension: 146 x 224 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198841029