Page 36 - Year 8

History: The Empire: 2 of 2

What is an Empire? North India Australia Africa
An Empire is what we call a group of countries that are ruled over by America
one country. For example, by the end of the 18th century Britain had an
Empire that included North America, Australia, India and parts of Africa. Began in East India Australia was a By the 1870s,
Key points the 17th Company collection many European
countries were
•The British Empire began in the late 1500s under Queen Elizabeth I. Century, was began in of British colon looking to expand
•By 1913 the empire had grown to rule over 400 million people, making known as the the 1600s. Brita ies from 1788 their control in
it the largest empire in history. 13 colonies. in was until 1901. The Africa.
•British government and society benefitted economically from the Planters interested in first colonies At the Berlin
empire. became very Tea, spices, and were Conference in
•The people colonised by the British had British laws and customs wealthy growing silk that was established as 1884, the USA,
imposed upon them, lost their ability to govern themselves and were, crops like grown in India. places where the Ottoman
in many cases, violently oppressed. Tobacco and 1857 Rebellion criminals were Empire and 12
Sugar. of the Sepoys sent to live and European
Used Slaves on led to total work. These countries divided
the plantations control of were known as up most of the
to grow and India. convict African continent
harvest the settlements or between them.
crops. penal colonies. This is known as
Later, colonies the ‘Scramble for
Africa’.
were
established by
free settlers.

The Transatlantic Slave Trade
The End of the British Empire

-Towards the end of the 19 Century, a number of states became -One of the more horrific parts of the British Empire was its position at
th
‘dominions’, meaning that they remained part of the empire, but governed the heart of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
themselves. -For 400 years from the 15 Century, British slave traders are estimated
th
-During the First and Second World War, Britain relied heavily upon its to have bought or sold around 3 million slaves. Slavery made Britain
empire in order to win. The countries who supported Britain began to take an incredibly wealthy.
increasingly independent view. Furthermore, the wars left Britain weakened
and less interested in its empire than it had been previously. -Britain banned slave trading in its empire from 1807.