IV.

COLONIALISM, BRITISH EMPIRE AND ITS LEGACY

 BEGINNINGS OF THE EMPIRE
o based on theories the Empire started in the 12th century with Norman invasion (Ireland,
Wales)
o then in 1497 John Cabot backed by (opíral se o) Henry VII sailed first to Canada then to
island in the Caribbean sea
o in 1585 with the queen Elisabeth I many sailors were encouraged, Virginia was founded,
during this time England had major rivals – France, Spain, Portugal, but in 1588 Spanish
Armada (Spanish fleet) was defeated
o later on in 1600 East India Company established, it was very important for the trade – all
important materials were imported into Britain
 then there was the Battle at Trafalgar (1805)– sea battle France and Spain against Great
Britain, took place near Cape Trafalgar (Spain), the battle ended with a clear victory for the
British forces, in the charge admiral Nelson – the famous Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s
column were built in London to honour him and the won battle – France and Spain defeated
 then after the Battle at Waterloo (1815) when also Napoleon was defeated, Britain had
officially the greatest sea power supremacy

 COLONIZATION
o (Reasons why it was Britain that colonized the world.)
o the strength of the Royal Navy – France didn’t invest into their navy, Spanish Armada
already defeated
o support of local settlers in colonies – English speaking Protestants who left because of
their faith to America supported England even they had different religion
o first industrialized country in the world
o they had well organised East India Company armies
o capacity to exploit (využít) many differences in their colonies
o they were more diplomatic then others – sophisticated net of peoples and nations, English
people and people in colonies cooperated together (but sometimes they have to made them
do something with violence), there were colonial assemblies
o Britain as a Mother Country, a protector and ultimate authority, superiority of the rulers
over the ruled
o Empire based on commerce, sea power and naval dominance

 TRADE
o trade was the prime reason and motive for the colonization
o it was different from its predecessors or its rivals, because the trade was integrated by force,
reasons of power
o the basics of the trade – British manufactures and investments into colonies, raw materials
were there from colonies transported back to England, there were manufactured into
products and products were then sold in the UK or transported back to colonies
o the Empire was a safe haven for British investment

 1ST AND 2ND BRITISH EMPIRE

o First Empire 1583 – 1783
 after the Seven Years War (1756-1763) in Canada against France, Britain gained
colonies new territories there
 by 1783 colonies in Canada, America, West Indies
 trading posts in India, naval bases in the Mediterranean
 temperate climate, good agriculture
 1588 Francis Drake – defeat of Spanish armada
 1600 East India Company Established
 1607 Virginia (Jamestown) London Company
 1620 Plymouth
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  1634 Maryland (Roman Catholics)
 1636 Rhode Island (tolerant of all religions)
 1672 Royal African Company
 Britain – Mother Country - a protector and ultimate authority
 proclaimed “superiority” of the rulers over the ruled
 various justifications for the rule: commerce, good government
o Second Empire 1783 – 1815
 after Britain won the Seven Years War, it needed to rise taxed to cover battle
expenses in their colonies – there was a wave of protests in America which led to
Boston Tea Party (1773), motto – No taxation without representation
 4th July 1776 Declaration of Independence and loss of American colonies,
Empire restructured
 commercial and trading energies toward India and Far East
 1783 PEACE OF PARIS
 more pragmatically governed
 commercial and trading energies toward India and Far East
 1770 James Cook Terra Australis
 wool and gold

 BRITAIN’S IMPERIAL CENTURY (1815 – 1914)

o roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire
o Britain adopted the role of global policeman, a state of affairs later known as the Pax
Britannica, and a foreign policy of "splendid isolation"
o Russia the only international rival in central Asia
o British Raj (1858-1947) - was British rule in the Indian subcontinent
o Anglo-Zulu war (1879) - was fought between the British and the Zulus
o Anglo-Boar wars (1880-1881)
o 1910 - Boer republics incorporated into the British Empire
o West African coast - Lucrative slave trade
o 1881 –1914: exploration, possession, missionary activity, and acquisition of raw materials

 Dominions within the British Empire

o a confederation enjoying full self-government with the exception of international relations
o dominion of Canada 1867
o Australia, New Zealand, New Foundland after 1900
o the Union of South Africa 1910
o Irish Free State 1922
o the term DOMINION STATUS first introduced 1907

COLONIES
 THE CARIBBEAN (West Indies)
o opened up under the Tudors – 1620s first successful English colonies founded, there were
wars against Spain, France and Netherlands, but were won
o these colonies important for sugar and tobacco plantations, but as European people
couldn’t work there because of the climate – slave labour (so called indentured servants –
taken from their homes for free to have better live opportunities, but they have to work for
the one who took them, very tough work, many of them usually died) – in 1807 by the Slave
Trade Act, slave trade was abolished
o Caribbean achieved independence in the 1960s
o West Indies – Caribbean Sea, East Indies – Indonesia

 AMERICAN COLONIES
o also important for tobacco, sugar, cotton
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 o after the Seven Years War Britain needed money to cover battle expenses so they
increased taxes – protests – Boston Tea Party 1773 that led to revolution against the
British Empire
o after the War of Independence, Britain lost 13 colonies and the United States of America
were created (but cultural links remained strong)
o America was magnet for British religious and political immigrants

 CANADA
o originally French colonial territory, but after the Seven Years War British
o area of Quebec was Catholic, so there was a resettlement – Protestants
o disturbances between French and English speaking Canada let to responsible government
– the Westminster model (own government)
o Canadian Federation – model for other colonial developments (Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa)

 AUSTRALIA
o first fleet in 1788, Aboriginal people often persecuted and despised
o the immigration to Australia was initially very slow, so the British government send
prisoners to Australia to make the process faster
o important for sheep farming, 1850s gold strikes
o given dominion status in 1907

 NEW ZEALAND
o in 1840 land secured (přivlastnit) from Maori, which was not very peaceful process
o important for sheep and farming
o given dominion status in 1907
o Australia and New Zealand are independent, but in Commonwealth – loyal members of the
Empire

 INDIA
o colonization of India began in the early 17th century – establishment of factories and
trading post, tax collection as a source of income
o very valuable colony for Britain – 80% of trade with India
o culture clashes – The Great Rebellion in 1857 – British believed that they could convert
people to Christianity, that they could reform schools and that let to conflicts
o at the end of the 19th century Indian nationalism grew (Gandhi) and in 1947 India as well
as Pakistan became independent

 AFRICA
o probably the most important part was Suez Canal as French opened it, it was important
for the trade – British people really wanted to claim this canal so they bought shares of Suez
Canal Company (waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea)
o then in 1914 Egypt was declared a British protectorate
o Scramble for Africa – at the end of 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century
(1881-1914) there were plenty of exploration, possession, missionary activity, acquisition of
raw materials, west African coast was also very lucrative for slave trade, discovery of
diamonds and gold (South Africa)
o again clashes of cultures
o Britain have plenty of colonies in Africa

WORLD WARS
 FIRST WORLD WAR (1914 – 1918)
o the last major extension of British rule
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 o colonies and dominions = military, financial and material support
o control over: Palestine, Iraq
 1914 Egypt declared a British protectorate
 1932 Iraq complete independence

 SECOND WORLD WAR (1939 – 1945)

o USA and Japan naval powers
o September 1939 declaration of war
o colonies and India, Irish Free state neutral, dominions soon after, Pearl Harbor and Hong
Kong
 1947 India and Pakistan independent
 1941 Japan attack on British Malaya

THE END OF THE EMPIRE

 Commonwealth
o founded in 1926 when the British Empire began to break-up
o countries which were part of the Empire before their independency, nowadays still work
together on many important matters - business, health, queen is the official head of the CW
o now it have 54 member countries (for example Canada, Australia, India, and many countries
in the West Indies and Africa)
o formally established by The Statute of Westminster 1931 – an Act of the UK, it
gave equality to the self-governing dominions of the British Empire, it is still law in each
of the Commonwealth realms
o important because it gave legislative freedom to these countries, its current relevance is that
it sets the basis for the continuing relationship between and the Crown
o 1960s – a huge loss of colonies – old Commonwealth – countries that were given
independence first (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada), new CW –
countries that were given independence later (India, Pakistan, Caribbean, African
colonies), in 1997 Hong Kong returned to China
 Reasons
o domestic economy was weakened (France and Germany better), Britain then entered EEC
European Economic Community (1973) later it turned into EU
o 1970’s “Superpower” conference included only the USA and the Soviet Union
o empire too expensive to hold, financial and military necessity
 Decolonisation and decline (1945 – 1997)
o Britain bancrupt, european colonies anti-colonial movement
o complicated by Cold War
o 1945 – 1965 - from 700 mill. to 5 mill.
o The Suez Canal crisis = Britain´s decline confirmed
 1968 independence of most Africa
 1960 independence of Cyprus
 Legacy
o education spread
o Hindi words from India including "bungalow", "veranda" and "pyjamas"
o English language (primary 400 mill., spoken half billion)
o development of infrastructure
o rule of law and moral principles
o stability
o White Man’s Burden – the alleged duty of the white race to care for subject peoples of
other races in its colonial possessions, after a poem of the same title by Rudyard Kipling
o measurement, sports, left-side Driving
o Large migration
o Ethnical and religious conflicts
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o racism
 The Boar Concentration Camps – 22 000 children
 April 13, 1919 The Amritsar Massacre
 1947 The Partitioning of India – Cyril Radcliffe

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