This thesis, which focusses on the relationship between Lord Holland and Portugal, investigates aspects of political, diplomatic and cultural history. It covers the period between 1793 and 1840 and traces the evolution of Holland's views on Portugal from the time of his first visit to Spain to his later contribution to the establishment of a constitutional regime in Portugal. Particular attention is given to the Hollands' visits to Portugal in 1804-5 and 1808-9. Their journals and correspondence reveal their impressions of the people, culture and history of Portugal. On their travels, they met a number of prominent Portuguese, notably Palmela, who were to remain in contact with Holland House - especially during periods of exile - for many years into the future. The Portuguese journeys and the continuing contact with people like Palmela were to play an important part in the development of Lord Holland's views, not only on Portugal but also on broader political and constitutional issues. Thus the thesis investigates Lord Holland's influence on ' the establishment of a constitutional regime in Spain in 1809-10 and - indirectly and unintentionally - in Portugal in 1820-23, It includes a study of Holland's contribution to the settlement of a government in Brazil in 1808 - that is at the time the Bragancas moved from Portugal to Rio de Janeiro - and his indirect influence on the establishment of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves in 1815, as well as his role in the abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade and the effects of abolition on Anglo-Portuguese relations. Lord Holland's contribution to the establishment of a Liberal regime in Portugal in 1834 is examined at some length. It includes a study of the extent of Holland's support for the Portuguese Liberal Cause after Dom Miguel's usurpation of the throne in 1828 and of his subsequent role in the 'Liberal invasion' of Portugal. To this end it investigates relations between Portuguese emigres and the Holland House Circle, Holland's role in the triangular diplomacy between Lisbon, St James and South Audley Street in 1828 and later. Finally, it considers Holland's contribution to the end of the Portuguese Civil War in 1834 and to the subsequent establishment of a constitutional regime in that country.

Viajar es una actividad inherente al comportamiento humano. Desde la prehistoria, diferentes pueblos han explorado el mundo y, sin embargo, incluso hoy en día, resulta complicado encontrar relatos protagonizados por mujeres viajeras. Consideradas tradicionalmente como casos extraños y excepcionales, sus relatos también han sido calificados como fuentes poco fiables. Esta tesis se propone corregir estas ideas erróneas mediante el estudio de las principales características asociadas a los viajes de las mujeres, desde las narraciones sobre los periplos de las diosas mediterráneas hasta los problemas a los que se enfrentan las trotamundos actuales. Nos centraremos en los viajes de las europeas del siglo XVIII, ya que fue este el momento en el que se instauró la figura del viajero varón y las evidencias sugieren que puede ser la época en la que las mujeres, inspiradas igualmente por los ideales de la Ilustración, también comenzaron a viajar. Para ello hemos seleccionado a una de las muchas damas que emprendieron un viaje educativo por el continente sin la guía de un tutor: Elizabeth Vassall-Fox, más conocida como Lady Holland. Lady Holland realizó varios viajes a lo largo de su vida. En 1791 se embarcó en el clásico Grand Tour y, una década más tarde, visitó a España. Sus diarios, publicados parcialmente en 1910, son una descripción inestimable de la sociedad española durante los últimos años del reinado de Carlos IV. Debido a la importancia de sus escritos, nos centraremos en su primer viaje a España con la intención de explorar no sólo sus pensamientos y sentimientos, sino también las razones que la llevaron a emprender este desplazamiento. Nos interesa, además, descubrir las consecuencias que viajar tuvo tanto en su vida diaria como en la historia de las mujeres. / Financiada por la convocatoria de formación predoctoral del programa propio del Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación de la Universidad de Alicante (Convocatoria 2016).

The Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts is one of America’s best known historic homes. Built in 1759 by Major John Vassall, the grand house exemplified Colonial English tastes and was at the center of a cycle of Colonial Royalist mansions. After the American Revolution, however, the house quickly became a symbol of American patriotism. Occupants ranging from General George Washington and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow each added to the legacy of the house. Early in the nineteenth century, the Longfellow House’s distyle portico- pavilion traveled to Canterbury, Connecticut, becoming a colloquial house-type. Aided by its connection to General Washington and its appearance in two World’s Fairs, the house gained further popularity around the American Centennial. This thesis provides the most expansive history of the house’s impact on American architecture to date and is the first to connect the house to both the Greenhouse at Mount Vernon and Connecticut’s “Canterbury Style.”