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Great Britain, The country who has been in a the center of some history’s biggest moments. A country in which no other dares to challenge , but try to emulate. A country who were first to industrialize and didn't want anybody else to . How did Great Britain become one of the powerful empire in history and what happen to it ? The first event that help Britain build this empire was the industrial revolution. Coal was really the start of the revolution. Wood used to be the main source of energy but as the population grew wood became harder to carry and more expensive. Coal became more of a potent source of energy. It lead to the first successful steam engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. The next move by Great Britain was the buildup of their seapower . The seapower britain had before, already gave them colonies in eastern North America, numerous sugar islands in the Caribbean and a hold in Bengal. The new seapower that britain allowed them a new source of commerce. The triangle slave trade in allowed britain to send over 2 million worker to the new developing company America, which was a major feature in building the empire. With the naval power built up , this is really when the empire really built up. By 1815, Britain established themselves as the worlds great imperial powers . A colony that nobody knew about was the Caribbean, in the island of Barbados and Jamaica, that the brits acquired in the mid 17 century, had a tremendous sugar supply. Another colony that the Brits had was in india, the home of the historic east india company, a trading company made by Great Britain to produce revenue. This growth of Britain's new empire in Africa, India and elsewhe... ... middle of paper ... ...rms that their reign as the world’s greatest empire is faltering. Now in the 21st Century Some imperial links still survive, but the days of this empire a long gone. Works Cited Darwin, John. "Britain, the Commonwealth and the End of Empire." BBC News. BBC, 3 Mar. 11. Web. 01 May 2014. Evans, Eric. "Overview: Victorian Britain, 1837 - 1901." BBC News. BBC, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 May 2014. "Home Front: World War One." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 02 May 2014. Morgan, Kenneth. "Overview: Empire and Sea Power, 1714 - 1837." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 02 May 2014. Porter, Andrew. "Britain's Empire in 1815." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 02 May 2014. Strachan, Hew. "Overview: Britain and World War One, 1901 - 1918." BBC News. BBC, 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. "Why the Industrial Revolution Happened in Britain." BBC News. BBC, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
During the imperialism of Africa, many of the same things occurred. The English took control of the African countries in different ways, but they still took control. With the Africans, the English just went to war with the countries or tribes. They would either defeat them or force them to give up partial or all control of the government. Either way, the English gained control and power because of their strength politically and militarily.
They built roads and railroads. British rule brought peace and order to the countryside. They revised the legal system to promote justice for the Indians, regardless of class. Indian landowners and princes, who still owned territory, grew rich from exporting cash crops such as cotton and jute. The British introduced the telegraph and the postal system as a means of communication.
The eradication of Charles I from power in England allowed the country to become the major superpower of the world by the end of the 18th century. A superpower is defined as an extremely powerful nation, especially one capable of influencing international events and and policies of less powerful nations. Many common characteristics are prominent when concluding whether a country is a superpower or not, including an educated populace, a healthy economy, a rich culture, a strong military, a large land mass, and a stable government. The beheading of Charles directly relates to each of these aspects of a superpower, through one way or another. Scientific discoveries resulting from the push for education after Charles I’s death and their benefits to the economy and culture accommodate the educational, economical, and culture characteristics of a superpower. The military expansion, conquering of new lands and spread of culture after Charles accommodates the military and land mass aspects. And finally, Parliament’s eventual takeover of the government accommodates the stable government necessity of a superpower.
Canny, Nicholas: The Oxford History of the British Empire,vol I, TheOrigins of the Empire (New York 1998)
Changes in British policies toward the colonies between 1750 and 1776 played paramount in the evolution of relations between British North America and Mother England. Tension between England and the colonies mounted from the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War to the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a result of the several implemented changes imposed by Parliament for the purpose of increasing income and tightening the grip on America.
Buzard, James, Linda K. Hughes. "The Victorian Nation and its Others" and "1870." A Companion to Victorian Literature and Culture. Ed. Herbert F. Tucker. Malden: Blackwell Publishers, 1999. 35-50, 438-455.
The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and Social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans were aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on. Britain was endowed with geographic and political advantages that allowed the country to become the first to unwittingly stumble onto industrialization. Britain was an island, therefore had developed a unique naval strength which subsequently gave Britain leverage when globalization blossomed from expanding maritime trade. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe, including Belgium, trailed behind. Presently, colonized regions still bear the traits and scars from the subjugators of their past.
Britain was not an imperialistic force during the 15th century due to the overwhelming power of Spain and Portugal. These countries had established themselves as titans of the transatlantic system. In fact, “During the fifteenth century [Britain] completely lacked both the economic and strategic potential to participate in early colonialist endeavors” (Wenzlhuemer 362). Britain did not have the financial capabilities to fund such imperialistic efforts and expand their boundaries at that time due to not being as technologically and economically superior like the other empires. However, it all changed after the American Revolution. Britain was powerful at that time, yet Britain became an imperialistic force because many great states around itself were having harsh political climates and instability thus giving Britain an opportunity to take control of foreign areas, and become prosperous all while increasing their military and naval force. It wa...
The new invention of steam power was one of the great motives for the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, steam was used to power many of the machines, thus with the invention of steam power, the Industrial Revolution was powered onwards. The duo of inventors, Thomas Savery and Thomas Newcomen were both based in Britain, thus, this was the place where the inventions were first used giving Britain the time advantage over other countries.
The Industrial Revolution is a period that started around the 1750s, and is a period we are currently living in; it is seen today as one of the most dramatic and impactful eras in human-history. Thanks to Britain’s start-up of the period, we now have a society in which progress is culturally embedded as a necessity to survive. This was developed by the revolutionary inventions of the period, along with the strive for innovation from other international countries.
Throughout history, the British have been a nation of sailors and businessmen. With the dawn of the imperial era, money began to equal power, and the wealth of the British elevated them to the top of the world. As Sir Walter Raleigh said,
The British Empire was equally a powerful imperial system, but for differing reasons. Its monarchy has led them to success with nationalism and patriotism, and even some of their own thought that ruling over more countries (particularly India) would make them “the greatest power in the world” (Roberts, p. 225). They were interested in imperializing and having control over others, to spread their beliefs and government across the seas. All they needed was “food, raw materials and cash” while they supplied “minerals and capital and sold services” and traded their goods with Europe (Roberts, p. 50).
First, Britain had some tremendous natural attributes. It was naturally endowed with many deposits of coal and iron ore, which were used heavily in the early stages of factory production. In addition, Britain was situated at a critical point for international trade. Its position between the United States and the rest of Europe allowed them to have a serious impact in all matters of trade. Likewise, a multitude of navigable waterways, easy access to the sea, and a mild climate all contributed to the onset of industrialism. Britain's topography was conducive to industrialism because its diversity allowed for the production of many agricultural products, preventing any sort of shortage or famine. Evans remarks, “Each single such advantage could be replicated in other European countries and some could be accentuated, but no other nation enjoyed such a rich combination of natural bounties” (111). Furthermore, the nation was free of many trade tariffs that hampered industry in other European nations while featuring a real opportunity for upward movement in society which provided a great incentive for acquiring wealth. Britain also experienced tremendous population growth which provided a potential workforce as well as an increase in the demand for goods.
"History in Focus." : The Victorian Era (Introduction). Institute of Historical Research., Apr. 2001. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Darwin, John. 2011. BBC - History - British History in depth: Britain, the Commonwealth and the End of Empire, 3 March 2011. Accessed 11 April 2014. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/endofempire_overview_01.shtml.