For almost two hundred years, the dominion of the British Empire stretched across the globe. With colonies in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Southern Pacific, author George McCartney was entirely correct to espouse of “this vast empire on which the sun never sets”. The complete dominance of the British in many of their colonies lasted through until World War II, when the country began releasing, or “decolonizing” its possessions in favor of new, small independent nations to make their own destinies. Whether success or failure, many of these colonies are still independent nations, actively involved in world affairs. However, to this day, the great authority of Parliament still extends past the shores of fair Britannia, specifically in the cases of Gibraltar and the Falklands Islands. Both hold overs from medieval treaties and holdings, both regions are claimed by Spain and Argentina respectively. Clear from both colonies is their importance before as naval installations, but in the days of lightning warfare, doubt is cast on their continued value to England. For Gibraltar, at stake is Spanish sovereignty and pride in territorial integrity; for Argentina, honor and a right to new, valuable natural resources. Through both times of war and peace, the United Kingdom has held steadfast to these two last colonies, even in the face of threats, blockades and warfare. In many respects, each of the colonies have some precedent to be a part of their home country; however, the reality to this day is that the shadow territories of the British Empire are complex subjects that even years of negotiations have yet to unravel.
In order to understand the British holding of the Rock of Gibraltar today, it is necessary to look at the pen...
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...ain, Whitehall has put up a firm stance on the Falklands, mirroring the intensity with which the Thatcher government opposed the Argentine incursion of 1982. Only time will tell if the current confrontation will escalate again.
For both territories, the resurgent discussions on both of the United Kingdom’s disputed territories has spurred Parliament to allow both Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands to form new constitutions, in the form of the Gibraltar Constitution Order of 2006 and the Falkland Islands Constitution of 2009.Both devolutions of self-government represent an important step in British Foreign Policy: each island is without any uncertainty intended to remain territories of the United Kingdom for some time. And though dialogue continues in both cases, the British government is in no quarrel over the retention of some of its last colonies in the world.
An Empire Divided was different from the typical books on the American Revolution because it focused on the impact the revolution had upon the Caribbean. Throughout the book O’Shaughnessy argues that the Caribbean had nothing to gain from siding with the patriots during the revolution, and that after hearing such news of violence and war they even turned against them such as what happened in Antigua.
In Hasting’s article she explores the ways in which Canada sought to annex Britain’s West Indies colonies in the early twentieth century. One of the major benefits of expanding into the West Indies was to increase trading and goods that were being traded, this was made possible with the expanding steamship technology that increased its commercial and passenger routes south. The second factor of Canada’s campaign to annex the West Indies was to prove itself as a new territory that was expanding it’s borders, which suggested Canada as a contender among other countries such as Britain and France who had a long history of colonization. Hasting’s explores the factors contributing to Canada’s anticipated success in annexing the West Indies. The article discusses Canada’s potential in trying to create harmonious political relationship with the Bahamas in 1911, and how the issue
In the world’s lens during the 1760s, the British empire had a clear and prominent control over the colonies. However, by the mid-1770s the Americans became enraged enough to declare war against the British for independence. Due to Britain’s massive imperial presence around the globe, the British civilians had a strong inclination for a successful outcome. Instead, the colonists pulled a surprising victory from what should have been a swift defeat. While the British had an abundance of advantages, they lost the Revolutionary War because the British army underestimated the colonists’ perseverance for freedom.
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.
51. Through an examination of Parliament’s actions relating to the colonies from 1763 to 1774, explain Great Britain’s approach to the crisis it faced in the post-Seven Years War/French and Indian War decade.
This power is lodged in the Parliament and we are as much dependant on Great Britain as a perfectly free people can be on one another.”
Because of several acts that Parliament had issued during the 1760s almost every colonist became frustrated and upset with the new approach the British government had taken towards governing their colonies. E...
The British Empire has had a long lasting and strong influence on the American colonies for over three centuries. From the 16th century all the way to the 18th century, the British empire has held power within the colonies in terms of legislature, economy, and social stature. The British’s rule has been both a positive and negative driving force
Laver, R. C. (2001). The Falklands/Malvinas Case: Breaking the Deadlock in the Anglo-Argentine Sovereignty Dispute. Developments in International Law , 40, 66-71.
As almost anyone with the slightest knowledge of European history can tell you, the French and the British do not like each other. Some French and British people still hate each other today for issues that occurred 100 of years ago. So on top of the conflict that is already present between France and Great Britain there is a new one in the pursuit of gaining more land and power for one’s cou...
Leach, Douglas Edward. Arms for Empire: A Military Hitory of the British Colonies in North America. New York: Macmillan Company, 1973.
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.
Motives for British Imperialism in Africa Before the Europeans began the New Imperialism in Africa, very little was known about the inner parts of the continent. However, after some explorers delved deeper into the heart of Africa, the Europeans soon realized how economically important this area was, and how much they could profit from it. At the time, Britain had only small occupations of land in Africa, but after they realized that they could make money from the rich resources from the inner regions of Africa, they wanted to invade the African countries and take over. This led to the scramble and ultimately, the partition of Africa. During the Age of Imperialism, from 1870-1914, Britain was a major country, which proved to be true in the “carving up” and division of Africa.
In 1603 the Scottish and English monarchies were united and at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the monarchy of the United Kingdom was deprived of the decision-making privilege they once had. For the purpose of this essay, I intend to examine the many different arguments both for and against the British monarchy being abolished. Proponents argue strongly that the monarchy symbolises all that is British throughout Britain and the Commonwealth Realms. However, contrary to this, the monarchy receives exorbitant financial aid from the British taxpayers to maintain the monarchy. Does the monarchy have a place in the twenty first century?