British Empire

The second half of the 19^th century saw the immense growth and rise of the British Empire, which continued to the middle of the 20^th century. The Empire began its development from the Tudor times, when the great Queen Elizabeth I supported merchant adventurers and new colonists, who settled overseas territories by migration.

The new colonies across the Atlantic Ocean became a source of real profit for England — they supplied raw materials necessary for developing industry and got British goods in exchange. The Tudor and Stuart monarchies kept a tight hold on the colonies, regarding them as a direct source of wealth for the home country. Precious metals and colonial products were imported to Britain, when the minimum of goods was sent in exchange.

The Industrial Revolution changed the productivity of British factories. Now Britain produced a great number of goods, which were sold at a high price. This price was higher than money paid for raw materials brought to Britain from numerous colonies all over the world. British machine industry products dominated the markets of every country. This rapid development of British economy made her a leader of the world trade.

While the old colonies like Canada and Australia were starting to develop their own economies to become the virtually independent Dominions, the new countries were conquered and enslaved. India, the West Indies and the African colonies became subordinate to Britain; they served as a source of cheap raw materials and as markets for British goods. These goods ruined the native handicraft industries.

Britain became a supreme economic power due to the doctrines of laisser-faire (minimum interference by government in economic and political affair) and free trade (government does not discriminate against imports in favour of national products or interfere with exports).

Colonial aggression changed the attitude of the British towards the empire builders. If before colonies were regarded as places for settlement, beginning from the middle of the 19^th century, they became a matter of destiny. The British now governed the bigger part of the world, their culture and civilisation became a model.

Between 1884 and 1900 Britain acquired 3,700,000 square miles of new colonial territories. By 1914, the British Empire covered 12,7 million square miles of which the United Kingdom represented 121,000 or less than one — hundredth part, the self-governing Dominions 7 million, and the colonial or dependent empire 5,6 million or forty-six times the area of the United Kingdom. The population totaled 431 million of which only one-seventh lived in Britain or Dominions. By the eve of World War II protectorates and dependencies of the British Empire covered one-quarter of the earth surface and population.

British capital was transferred to the colonies — the most profitable field of investment. Britain itself was converting into a parasitic state, which lived on income from foreign investments. By the eve of World War I, one-fifth of British goods were no longer paid by export of goods. By the eve of World War II, two-fifth of British imports were no longer paid by export of goods. This meant that the previous accumulation of overseas capital was replaced by the process of disaccumulation. World War II greatly accelerated this process.

Task 2. Speak about the development of British Empire using the scheme of the capitalist and colonial system development.

Capitalist Development	Colonial System Development
Merchant Capital (the 1600s—1750s)	"The Old Colonial System"
The period of the "Merchant ad-	The period of the conquest of
venturers", slaver trade, privileged	newly discovered overseas territo-
monopoly trading companies.	ries, extermination of the original
This system provided the accumu-	inhabitants, and establishment of
lation of capital necessary for the	colonial settlements by migration.
Industrial Revolution	The colonies were regarded a di-
	rect source of wealth for the home
	country, while few goods were sent
	to the colonies in exchange
Industrial Capital (the 1750s—1880s)	World Industrial Monopoly
British industries developed rap-	Britain became "the workshop of
idly, British goods dominated the	the world". Raw materials were
markets of many countries of the	drawn from British colonies situat-
world	ed in all parts of the world. British
	machine industry gave goods in ex-
	change for raw materials from the
	colonies, which were much behind
	in their economic development
Finance Capital (the 1880s—1940s)	New Colonial System
Britain lost industrial supremacy	The greater part of the British
first to the USA, then to Germa-	Empire was acquired after 1884.
ny. Instead of goods Britain began	These were dependent colonies
to export capital and continued to	that paid tribute to the mother
expand colonies	country. They were ruled by Brit-
	ish officials. The other part of
	Empire was Dominions — totally
	serf-governing states that accepted
	Britain's monarch as their head of
	state and followed Britain's course
	in foreign affairs

Task 3. Try to explain. During the first periods of the Colonial system development England was referred to by colonists as "home country ". During the last stage of British colonial development it was called "mother country". Why?

Task 4. Finish the sentences.

1. Napoleon made an astonishing career as he ...

2. Napoleon's army was defeated ...

3. After the Napoleonic wars Britain ...

4. The 1820s were marked by ...

5. The Reform Bill was one of the most important events in British history because ...

6. The People's Charter called for such rights as ...

7. Chartism was defeated because ...

8. The Victorian Age was marked by ...

9. The reforms, which changed the life of people during the Victorian Age were ...

10. British industrial might in the second hah⁰ of the 19^th century was displayed at...

Task 5. Vocabulary development. State the meaning of the derivatives and complete the sentences.

1) troop (n, adj, v), troops, troopship

a) is a ship used for transporting large number of soldiers for

military purposes, sometimes it is called carrier.

b) Traditionally, United Nations have been deployed only in a

peace-keeping role.

c) the colour is a ceremony when a military flag is carried in

public.

d) Thousands of visitors into this museum every year.

2) blockage (n), blockade (v)

1. The economic of the country caused a great rise of smuggling.

2. In the 1810s, hundreds of suffragettes traffic to turn public

attention to their problems.

3) capture, captor, captivity

a) A person who another person or animal and is refusing to

release them is called .

b) When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been for several years.

c) All the hostages were released from .

4) abdicate, abdication

1. Kind Edward VIII in 1936, so that he could marry Mrs Simpson, a divorced woman.

2. This caused a constitutional crisis in the country.

5) seize, seizure, seize on/upon

1. The rebels the soldiers and held them as hostages.

2. The story by the press, which printed it under huge headlines.

c) His of power was widely criticised.

6) emancipation, emancipate, emancipated

1. Political of Ireland gave her additional rights.

2. We live in more times.

3. In the 1920s, political rights of women .

7) protection, protectionism, protector, protectorate

a) is a country, which is generally controlled and defended by a

more powerful country.

b) is the actions of government to help its country's trade or

industry by taxing goods bought from other countries.

c) Bloody Mary gave her to Catholics and considered herself

of the Catholic Church.

Task 6. Match descriptions of monarchs to their names.

	The House of Hanover
1. George I		a) represented British success and morals of the period
2. George II		b) came from Germany to take the English Crown
3. George III		c) was the first Hanoverian to take part in British political life. His interference led to the War of Independence in North America
4. George IV		d) didn't take part in home affairs letting the Cabinet Government system shape
5. William IV		e) was extravagant, selfish and unfit to reign
6. Victoria		f) the Reform Bill was provided at the beginning of his reign

Task 7. State the chronology of events. These events represent the same trends in history. Number the events in each group in time order 1—3.

1. Severe economic and political crisis led to a movement of

radicalism.

2. The Reform Bill saved the country from revolution.

3. Riots showed a need for Parliamentary reform.

1. The Grand National Consolidated Trades Union was formed.

2. The first workers' unions appeared.

3. The National Chartist Association was formed.

1. The second British Empire expanded all over the world.

2. The first colonies were established.

3. Britain became the world industrial monopoly.

1. The Government became independent from the monarch.

2. The Cabinet Government system was established.

3. The Bill of Rights established the basic principles of the English

Constitution.