Warren Hastings (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

Warren Hastings (1732-1818) was Britain’s first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. Accused of corruption, and impeached in 1787, he was eventually acquitted. This 1843 essay takes a critical look at Hastings’ life, with this assessment: “Blemished though they were by great crimes, Hastings’ public services were immense.”