The British Empire

From the 16th century to the 20th century

The development of the British Empire is often divided into two parts: the First Empire and the Second Empire. The First Empire started in the 16th century when Great Britain began to build territories overseas. In 1783, the Empire included colonies in North America and the West Indies. The first British settlement in Africa was on James Island in the Gambia River in 1661. It is said that the First Empire ended when the British lost control of the American colonies in 1783.

The British Empire spread more in the second part of the 19th century. During this period, the British got more land in more corners of the world than ever before. By the end of the century, the British Empire consisted of almost a quarter of the Earth’s total land area and over 25 percent of the world’s population. During the last 20 years of the 19th century, the British had claimed over 30 percent of the African population.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Kart over Det britiske imperiets
Kart over Det britiske imperiets

The end of the British Empire

From 1945 until today

After the two World Wars, the British Empire was slowly but clearly ending. The wars had harmed Britain’s economy severely. India set the tone for change when the country declared independence in 1947.

In the 1950s, the British government gave independence to Sudan, the Gold Coast and Malaysia. They didn’t want to risk a colonial war like the one that France had ended up in with Algeria. Many British colonies had already become self-governing as a result of decolonisation.

Canada became Britain’s first self-governing state in 1867, followed by Australia in 1901 and New Zealand in 1907. These previous colonies were in principle still connected to the British Crown, but were given a level of freedom. Over the next 20 years most of the Caribbean also gained its independence. Barbados became independent in 1966, and the rest of the Eastern Caribbean islands followed in the 1970s and 1980s.

To this day, the Union Jack is still a central part of the Australian flag.

The end of the Empire was in 1997, when Hong Kong became an administrative region under China.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 4

Neste avsnitt
Det australske flaget heist opp i en flaggstang
Det australske flaget heist opp i en flaggstang

Canada

When Britain won over the French in the Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed. France had to give up New France, which Canada was a part of, to the British Empire. Canada is still part of the Commonwealth today.

Mid-Victorian map of Canadian Eastern Provinces
Mid-Victorian map of Canadian Eastern Provinces

West Indies

When Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, a race started between Europe’s great powers to colonise the Caribbean Islands. In 1912, the British territories were divided into eight colonies: the Bahamas, Barbados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Windward Islands, and the Leeward Islands. Most got their freedom back between 1960 and 1980.

 ⬅  Photo from a sugar plantation in Jamaica.  

Bilde fra en sukkerplantasje på Jamaica der slaver gjør jobben.
Bilde fra en sukkerplantasje på Jamaica der slaver gjør jobben.

America

Great Britain’s first permanent settlement in America was established in Jamestown in 1607. But, in 1783, Great Britain lost its thirteen colonies after more than eight years of disagreements over taxation and governance.

Jamestown, Saint Helena, British Overseas Territories
Jamestown, Saint Helena, British Overseas Territories

South Africa

In 1820 around 5,000 British people came to live in Cape Town, South Africa – an important port on the trade route to India. Over the next eighty years, the British battled the Boers to control the region. South Africa gained full independence from Great Britain in 1931.

Oversiktsbilde av Cape Town and the 12 Apostels
Oversiktsbilde av Cape Town and the 12 Apostels

Australia

Australia was first colonised by the British in 1788. In the first two years of colonisation, approximately 90 percent of the native people were wiped out.

⬅  Caricature of a British settlement in Australia in 1850 drawn by illustrator John Leech.  ⮕ 

Karikatur av britisk bosetting i Australia i 1850 tegnet av illustratøren John Leech
Karikatur av britisk bosetting i Australia i 1850 tegnet av illustratøren John Leech

The Commonwealth

In 1949, the Commonwealth of Nations was voluntarily founded. In the beginning, it was made up of eight independent nations, most of which were former British colonies. Today, 2.4 billion people in 54 countries make up the Commonwealth. Everyone recognises the British Queen as the head of the Commonwealth. Some countries also recognise the British monarch as the head of state.

⬅  The Commonwealth also has its own flag.

A short summary of the British Empire

Sources:

  • Vitenskap & historie (nr. 2/2020)
    Orage Forlag AS
  • Iddeng, Jon Wikene: imperium i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet     19. juni 2020 fra https://snl.no/imperium

Media Rights:

    1. Alamy
    2. Getty Images
    3. Getty Images
    4. Getty Images
    5. Getty Images
    6. Getty Images
    7. Getty Images
    8. Getty Images
    9. WatchMojo.com – Youtube