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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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British Empire
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Two events in the 1490s began the process which led to the European empires of later centuries. In 1492 Columbus discovered America; and in 1497 Vasco da Gama sailed round the southern tip of Africa and opened the sea route to Asia. The double lure of new territories in the west and new trade with the east stimulated all the European countries bordering the Atlantic. Portugal and Spain moved first, followed by France, Holland and England. It was with its two nearest neighbours, France and Holland, that Britain found itself most directly competing, first in north America and then in India.
The growth of the empire was haphazard; indeed Britain lost her most significant colony before the main imperial expansion began. When *America became independent, the only other colonies were *Canada and various islands in the *West Indies which had been settled or seized in a piecemeal fashion, as part of the continuing naval process of exploration, privateering and warfare.
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The growth of the empire was haphazard; indeed Britain lost her most significant colony before the main imperial expansion began. When *America became independent, the only other colonies were *Canada and various islands in the *West Indies which had been settled or seized in a piecemeal fashion, as part of the continuing naval process of exploration, privateering and warfare.
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The next increase in territory, to the east, was the result of the trading activities of the *East India Company. These led to the gradual inclusion in the empire of the entire subcontinent of *India and to the establishment of secure ports of call on the way to China, in particular *Singapore and *Hong Kong. Other additions, strategic places on the sea route such as *South Africa and *Sri Lanka, were seized from Holland during the French Revolutionary Wars.
Meanwhile a new continent had been discovered. *Australia began to be settled in the late 18C, when British naval power was entering its greatest period. Here, as also in *New Zealand, Britain had no European rivals. This was not the case in Africa in the 19C, where there was intense competition with new imperial powers such as Germany and Belgium. The driving force in Africa came as much from *missionary endeavours as from trade.
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Meanwhile a new continent had been discovered. *Australia began to be settled in the late 18C, when British naval power was entering its greatest period. Here, as also in *New Zealand, Britain had no European rivals. This was not the case in Africa in the 19C, where there was intense competition with new imperial powers such as Germany and Belgium. The driving force in Africa came as much from *missionary endeavours as from trade.
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The last additions to the empire, the most piecemeal of all, were themselves the by-product of British imperial strength. It sometimes suited other powers or rulers to allow Britain control over their territories in return for protection. It was this which created colonies as diverse and improbable as *Cyprus and *Fiji. The empire was traditionally marked red on British maps, and by the early 20C much of the world seemed that colour.
Meanwhile the unravelling of empire had begun with the independence of Canada in 1867. During the early years of the 20C Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also achieved *dominion status. The pattern was becoming clear by which the empire could be transformed into the *Commonwealth. In the decades after World War II the process was completed as more and more colonies were granted independence, though sometimes only after a period of agitation and terrorism. By the 1990s there were only a handful of dependent territories, of which the most important (the *Falkland Islands, *Gibraltar, *Hong Kong) were either about to undergo a change of sovereignty or were the subject of continuing controversy on that issue.
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Meanwhile the unravelling of empire had begun with the independence of Canada in 1867. During the early years of the 20*C Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also achieved *dominion status. The pattern was becoming clear by which the empire could be transformed into the *Commonwealth. In the decades after World WaroII the process was completed as more and more colonies were granted independence, though sometimes only after a period of agitation and terrorism. By the 1990s there were only a handful of dependent territories, of which the most important (the *Falkland Islands, *Gibraltar, *Hong Kong) were either about to undergo a change of sovereignty or were the subject of continuing controversy on that issue.
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What was probably the most lasting achievement of the British empire only became evident in the second half of the 20C – the establishment of English as an international language.
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