Date/period Event(s)
1850s ∙ 1853-1881- Material Improvement
∙ 1854- Cape Colony elects its own
parliament
∙ 1856-1860-The Second Opium War
∙ 1857- The Indian Mutiny
∙ 1858- Government of India Act
1860s ∙ 1863-1879- Egypt's debt rose from £3 million to £100 million.
∙ 1866-1868- The Nile Expedition. Livingstone becomes ill and relies on the slave trade,
which he is against.
∙ 1869- The Suez Canal opens.
1870s ∙ 1870s- Muhammed Ahmad- preaches for Islam and calls for liberation- declares himself
Mahdi.
∙ 1870- Diamonds discovered in Kimberley. Boers claim the land. Britian is pressured to
annex East and West Griqualand
∙ 1871- Livingstone witnesses the massacre of women at Nyangwe
∙ 1871- Livingstone found at Ujiji by Stanley. Livingstone refuses to leave- dies in 1873
∙ 1871-House of Commons orders an investigation into the slave trade in Zanzibar. As
Portugal tried to claim Zanzibar.
∙ 1871- Cecil Rhodes joins the diamond rush- buys small diamond mines and has deals with
Rothchilds
∙ 1872- Molteno= first Cape Colony Prime Minister= Hut Tax
∙ 1873- General Gordon becomes Governor General of Sudan
∙ 1875- Egypt in debt again, Isma'il Pasha asks for British and French help. Disraeli buys the
shares of the Suez Canal. Britian and France take control of Egypt. Tawfiq Pasha becomes
leader of Egypt.
∙ 1876- Famine breaks out in Southern India- up to 10 million Indians died.
∙ 1876- The Brussels Conference
1850s ∙ 1853-1881- Material Improvement
∙ 1854- Cape Colony elects its own
parliament
∙ 1856-1860-The Second Opium War
∙ 1857- The Indian Mutiny
∙ 1858- Government of India Act
1860s ∙ 1863-1879- Egypt's debt rose from £3 million to £100 million.
∙ 1866-1868- The Nile Expedition. Livingstone becomes ill and relies on the slave trade,
which he is against.
∙ 1869- The Suez Canal opens.
1870s ∙ 1870s- Muhammed Ahmad- preaches for Islam and calls for liberation- declares himself
Mahdi.
∙ 1870- Diamonds discovered in Kimberley. Boers claim the land. Britian is pressured to
annex East and West Griqualand
∙ 1871- Livingstone witnesses the massacre of women at Nyangwe
∙ 1871- Livingstone found at Ujiji by Stanley. Livingstone refuses to leave- dies in 1873
∙ 1871-House of Commons orders an investigation into the slave trade in Zanzibar. As
Portugal tried to claim Zanzibar.
∙ 1871- Cecil Rhodes joins the diamond rush- buys small diamond mines and has deals with
Rothchilds
∙ 1872- Molteno= first Cape Colony Prime Minister= Hut Tax
∙ 1873- General Gordon becomes Governor General of Sudan
∙ 1875- Egypt in debt again, Isma'il Pasha asks for British and French help. Disraeli buys the
shares of the Suez Canal. Britian and France take control of Egypt. Tawfiq Pasha becomes
leader of Egypt.
∙ 1876- Famine breaks out in Southern India- up to 10 million Indians died.
∙ 1876- The Brussels Conference
