Gentlemanly Masculinity in the Gentleman’s Magazine, 1757 to 1789

Abstract

The fall of Minorca was just one example of British weakness as war spread around the globe. North American territory was lost to the French. French ally the Nawab of Bengal stormed Fort William in Calcutta and a large number of British prisoners of war perished in the notorious ‘Black Hole’. Battles fought in continental Europe as Prussia’s ally resulted in defeat or stalemate. The governments of Newcastle and Pitt fell in turn and their coalition faced a potential French invasion. There was a mood of national self-examination: did military losses indicate that Britain had lost its way, was no longer favoured by God?