The experience of the Hudsonβ€?s Bay, Levant, and Russia companies during the period 1714-1763 has been overlooked but can provide valuable insight into the challenges faced by British merchants, as well as into the relationship between business and the British state. The French were formidable competitors, and British manufactured goods did not offer the companies a competitive advantage. However, the companies were able to call on support from a range of sources, which crucially included the government, and they skillfully used the parliamentary process to counter a popular prejudice against companies