This work investigates the quantitative patterns and structural shifts in English overseas trade during the eighteenth century. Elizabeth Boody Schumpeter, an esteemed economic historian, utilizes extensive archival data from the Inspector General of Imports and Exports to reconstruct the balance of trade. The book provides a rigorous statistical framework that challenges previous assumptions regarding the growth and composition of British commerce prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Historians and economists frequently cite this volume as a foundational reference for understanding the quantitative history of British trade. Experts note that while the prose is highly technical and dense, the data remains an essential resource for any serious study of eighteenth-century economic development.