Aantekeningen SCC Empire
Early empire and explorers
The British Empire
‘Empire where the sun never set’
Developed over a period of 400 years, peak in 19 th Century.
Early Empire
The Early British Empire was not built by government action, grew from chartered companies who
had been given a Royal Charter by the King/Queen in return for taxed paid to the British Crown.
- North-America: Hudson Bay Company, Virginia Company
- India: East India Company
- Africa: British South Africa Company
- Dutch equivalent: VOC
Ages of Exploration
Early 15th to 17th Century: European powers set up and sponsored sea voyages (Columbus, Da Gama,
Alvares Cabral, Cortez, Pizarro).
Trading posts, main goal: money but also fur, sugar, slaves and spices.
During reign Elizabeth I (1558-1603) Britain set up trading companies in Turkey, Russia and East
Indies, explored the coast of North America and established colonies there.
Early 17th Century: colonies were expanded.
Systematic colonization of Ulster in Ireland.
Ireland: British Rule
1169: Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.
Ireland: Celtic tribes
After Nine-years’ War (1594-1603) King James I colonized Ulster with English speaking Protestant
settlers from Britain.
Reasons for explorations
To set up trade and trading posts (on the coast).
Dollar Diplomacy:
- To provide markets for British manufacturers
- To acquire raw materials
- To trade goods (Triangular Trade)
Height of Empire: 19th Century
‘Age of Imperialism’
Industrial Revolution 🡪 invention of steam-powered machines.
Queen Victoria: ‘divine obligation to rule the world’. Great Britain should lead and thus be more
inventive and adventurous.
British Exceptionalism.
,Extension of rule in Empire 19th Century
Change in viewpoint: ‘just’ trade by chartered companies was no longer goal but colonization (so
settlement of people and ruling of country).
A strong administrative and military presence was needed to protect business interests:
- Mismanagement of companies had led to fewer taxes.
- Rebellions so they feared waning influence.
Africa
Not much interest at first in colonizing Africa: slave-trade on trading posts on West-Coast and a stop-
over on the way to Asia (de Kaap).
Changed after loss of American Colonies and end of slave-trade.
Why colonialism Africa?
1. New markets
2. Cheap raw materials were found everywhere in Africa
3. Science: sent explorers to Africa to bring home information and data
4. Religion: spread of Christianity
Between 1870-1900 Africa was divided up between rivalling European countries: Great Britain,
Germany, France, Italy and Belgium.
Rudyard Kipling
Giant of Imperial Literature
1907: Nobel Prize
Reputation changed according to social and political climate.
Public School Education in Britain
Private schools educated boys to become civil servants in British Empire.
Mungo Park
Scottish surgeon, Niger region and found river Gambia.
Burton
English explorer, spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages.
Eastern Africa and Middle East.
Was genuinely interested in peoples and cultures.
Livingstone
Missionary in South Africa turned explorer. Anti-slavery and named the Victoria Falls.
First Non-African to cross continent East to West.
Stanley
Welsh journalist turned explorer.
Expedition to ‘find’ Livingstone in Tanzania.
Later explorer of the Congo River.
From exploration to colonization
1821: British start to arrive in South Africa.
Discovery of diamonds and gold meant great influx of people.
Cecil Rhodes’ private enterprise.
, Suez Canal (1869)
Canal to connect Mediterranean to Red Sea, economically of great importance.
British moved in ‘to protect zone’ during Egyptian Civil War (1882).
Stayed under ‘British Protection’ until 1954.
Cape to Cairo
French was scrambling for territory East to West.
French tried to get control of Nile and force Britain out of Egypt.
On verge of war but ended in a diplomatic victory for the UK (only because Germany was threat).
End of Empire
After WW2 Europe was in ruins and bankrupt.
Wind of change: anti-colonialism.
Britain adopted a policy of peaceful disengagement once stable governments were available.
Dominions
1931: Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa had become autonomous within
the British Empire.
1947: declared to be of equal status with the United Kingdom within the British Commonwealth, free
to establish their own citizenships and appoint their own ambassadors.
Britain and the pre-1945 dominions became informally known as the Old Commonwealth, or more
pointedly as the White Commonwealth.
Commonwealth
Formerly ‘British Commonwealth’
Intergovernmental organization of 54 independent member states. Nearly all were formerly part of
Empire.
Not political body but they co-operate.
Queen is ceremonial Head of Commonwealth. Queen is monarch of 15 members-states:
Commonwealth Realms.
Old Commonwealth: Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Newfoundland, South-Africa, Irish Free State.
New Commonwealth: term used in the United Kingdom to refer to recently decolonized countries,
predominantly non-with and developing.
Early empire and explorers
The British Empire
‘Empire where the sun never set’
Developed over a period of 400 years, peak in 19 th Century.
Early Empire
The Early British Empire was not built by government action, grew from chartered companies who
had been given a Royal Charter by the King/Queen in return for taxed paid to the British Crown.
- North-America: Hudson Bay Company, Virginia Company
- India: East India Company
- Africa: British South Africa Company
- Dutch equivalent: VOC
Ages of Exploration
Early 15th to 17th Century: European powers set up and sponsored sea voyages (Columbus, Da Gama,
Alvares Cabral, Cortez, Pizarro).
Trading posts, main goal: money but also fur, sugar, slaves and spices.
During reign Elizabeth I (1558-1603) Britain set up trading companies in Turkey, Russia and East
Indies, explored the coast of North America and established colonies there.
Early 17th Century: colonies were expanded.
Systematic colonization of Ulster in Ireland.
Ireland: British Rule
1169: Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.
Ireland: Celtic tribes
After Nine-years’ War (1594-1603) King James I colonized Ulster with English speaking Protestant
settlers from Britain.
Reasons for explorations
To set up trade and trading posts (on the coast).
Dollar Diplomacy:
- To provide markets for British manufacturers
- To acquire raw materials
- To trade goods (Triangular Trade)
Height of Empire: 19th Century
‘Age of Imperialism’
Industrial Revolution 🡪 invention of steam-powered machines.
Queen Victoria: ‘divine obligation to rule the world’. Great Britain should lead and thus be more
inventive and adventurous.
British Exceptionalism.
,Extension of rule in Empire 19th Century
Change in viewpoint: ‘just’ trade by chartered companies was no longer goal but colonization (so
settlement of people and ruling of country).
A strong administrative and military presence was needed to protect business interests:
- Mismanagement of companies had led to fewer taxes.
- Rebellions so they feared waning influence.
Africa
Not much interest at first in colonizing Africa: slave-trade on trading posts on West-Coast and a stop-
over on the way to Asia (de Kaap).
Changed after loss of American Colonies and end of slave-trade.
Why colonialism Africa?
1. New markets
2. Cheap raw materials were found everywhere in Africa
3. Science: sent explorers to Africa to bring home information and data
4. Religion: spread of Christianity
Between 1870-1900 Africa was divided up between rivalling European countries: Great Britain,
Germany, France, Italy and Belgium.
Rudyard Kipling
Giant of Imperial Literature
1907: Nobel Prize
Reputation changed according to social and political climate.
Public School Education in Britain
Private schools educated boys to become civil servants in British Empire.
Mungo Park
Scottish surgeon, Niger region and found river Gambia.
Burton
English explorer, spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages.
Eastern Africa and Middle East.
Was genuinely interested in peoples and cultures.
Livingstone
Missionary in South Africa turned explorer. Anti-slavery and named the Victoria Falls.
First Non-African to cross continent East to West.
Stanley
Welsh journalist turned explorer.
Expedition to ‘find’ Livingstone in Tanzania.
Later explorer of the Congo River.
From exploration to colonization
1821: British start to arrive in South Africa.
Discovery of diamonds and gold meant great influx of people.
Cecil Rhodes’ private enterprise.
, Suez Canal (1869)
Canal to connect Mediterranean to Red Sea, economically of great importance.
British moved in ‘to protect zone’ during Egyptian Civil War (1882).
Stayed under ‘British Protection’ until 1954.
Cape to Cairo
French was scrambling for territory East to West.
French tried to get control of Nile and force Britain out of Egypt.
On verge of war but ended in a diplomatic victory for the UK (only because Germany was threat).
End of Empire
After WW2 Europe was in ruins and bankrupt.
Wind of change: anti-colonialism.
Britain adopted a policy of peaceful disengagement once stable governments were available.
Dominions
1931: Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa had become autonomous within
the British Empire.
1947: declared to be of equal status with the United Kingdom within the British Commonwealth, free
to establish their own citizenships and appoint their own ambassadors.
Britain and the pre-1945 dominions became informally known as the Old Commonwealth, or more
pointedly as the White Commonwealth.
Commonwealth
Formerly ‘British Commonwealth’
Intergovernmental organization of 54 independent member states. Nearly all were formerly part of
Empire.
Not political body but they co-operate.
Queen is ceremonial Head of Commonwealth. Queen is monarch of 15 members-states:
Commonwealth Realms.
Old Commonwealth: Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Newfoundland, South-Africa, Irish Free State.
New Commonwealth: term used in the United Kingdom to refer to recently decolonized countries,
predominantly non-with and developing.
