TOPIC 49.
THE DEVELOPMENT
AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE
BRITISH COLONIAL EMPIRE.
18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES.
JOSEPH CONRAD AND
RUDYARD KIPLING.
1. INTRODUCTION
2. IMPERIALISM
3. THE BRITISH COLONIAL EMPIRE
4. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1763)
5. THE SECOND BRITISH EMPIRE
A. NEW ZEALAND
B. CANADA
C. INDIA
6. THE NEW IMPERIALISM: AFRICA
7. JOSEPH CONRAD
8. RUDYARD KIPLING
9. CONCLUSION
10. TEACHING INFERENCE
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
2. IMPERIALISM
- 19th c. European countries rushed into a competitions to occupy other continents
in search of raw material for their industries so as to avoid paying taxes
“Imperialism”.
- Causes of Imperialism in Europe:
o Increase of the population: 40 million Europeans left their countires.
o Economic factors: countires found investments in other continents for their private companies.
o Political factors: the more colonies a country had, the more prestigious it was. At that time, the
Spanish Empire controlled most of the American country.
o Ideological factors: Great Britain wanted to civilise other ocuntries, and Catholics and
Protestants fuelled the idea.
- Consequence of Imperialism: establishing the pre-conditions for the global use of
English (from its birthplace to settlements around the world).
3. THE BRITISH COLONIAL EMPIRE
- 17th c. British colonies had a desire to expand British commerce, but the British
government had not got the control over the colonies. The Chartered Companies
had it.
- The Chartered Companies had the control of the process of commerce,
protection of interests and avoidance of any monopoly of trade.
- A source of irritation between Britain and the Colonies emerged and was found in
The Navigation Acts which wanted to protect the English ship delivery & to
secure a profit to the home crountry from the colonies. These Acts forbade the
commerce from British colonies of any goods, except in England. It forbade
articles, such as tobacco, sugar, cotton or wool. Such goods had to pay heavy
duties.
- The Corn laws and the laws against manufacturing reflected the English abuse
over colonies.
- However, the most severe process The Molasses Act by means of which the
prosperity of New England came to an end people became lawbreakers.
- All this led to the American Revolution (1763).
4. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1763)
- England defeated France in the Seven Years’ War this was expensive, so the
Prime Minister of England, G. Grenville, decided to make American colonies
pay (a ver qué culpa tienen )
- The Stamp Act imposed a direct tax on the colonists (1765) and these rebelled,
because they believed the taxes were unconstitutional.
- The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in
American colonies without paying taxes, but this was unprofitable this was
the final act of tyranny to the Americans. The Boston Tea Party happened:
American Idnians threw tea chests into the Boston Harbour. The British
government responded harshly this episode escalated into the American
Revolution.
- The Parliament responded with The Intolerable Acts to punish colonists.
- George III decided to close the Boston Harbour.
- Representatives from every colony, except Georgia, met and formed the First
Continental Congress, whose members were opposed to British oppression.
5. THE SECOND BRITISH EMPIRE
- Result of the separation of the American colonies Britain lost their colonies and had to search for
other territories. James Cook explored the coast of Australia & took possessions of the continente in
the name of King George III.
- From 1820 to 1860, new colonies were established.
A. NEW ZEALAND explored by Captain Cook.
o The islands were proclaimed under British protection in 1813.
o There were land disputes between Maoris and White settlers. The Treaty of Waitangi:
compact between the Crown and the Maoris (immigrants could live there in pecae, let the
Crown establish laws, and guarantee & protect Maori tribal authority.
B. CANADA
o From the 15th c., French & British expeditions explored, colonised and fought over.
o The province of Canada was joined with 2 other British colonies: New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia, through Confederation, forming a self-governing entity named “Canada”.
o Britain continued setting its foreign and defense policies until the end of WWI.
C. INDIA
o The system of governance
