Empire Niall Ferguson Introduction * To the British, as to people in the rest of the world, imperialism's golden age is now considered a stain on human history, an era of slavery and racism and the plunder of native lands and peoples. The notion that imperialism is inherently evil, and that no empire can be a good empire, is an axiom in today's geopolitics. * Examines the British Empire from an economic perspective, controversially concluding that the British Empire was, on balance, a good thing * Globalisation is the biggest thing that Ferguson thanks the British for * English language and ties to London made it possible * The Leftist opponents of globalisation naturally regard it as no more than the latest manifestation …show more content…
* The British Empire stretched over hundreds of years and millions of miles; its legacy hangs over almost the entire world. It was, at times, a force for good. But just as often, people who lived under the British were manifestly worse off for it, and for others -- as in the case of Indians, for whom empire's consequences are hardest to judge -- British rule was at best a mixed blessing. * The British may have improved the course of history in some lands, but only at a cost -- in terms of lives and in lost culture -- we would find unpalatable today. * Ferguson recognizes these costs, but he can abide them, he says, because other, worse empires might have come into power were it not for the British. * Britain became the first empire to abolish slavery, and it took to the task with zeal, stationing the Royal Navy off the coast of Sierra Leone to disrupt the Atlantic slave trade to, among other places, the newly independent United States. * ‘It is not easy to explain so profound a change in the ethics of a people. It used to be argued that slavery was abolished simply because it had ceased to be profitable: in fact, it was abolished despite the fact that it was still profitable. What we need to understand, then, is a collective change of heart.’ * Ferguson delves deep into what might have caused this change, and he discovers a fact
Within the NO portion the author states several things to support that imperialistic rule by Britain was not primarily economic. Industrial Europe required a highly specialized world, in which some areas would produce food for its industrial proletariat, others would produce raw materials for the industrial process, and the entire world would constitute a market for industrial goods. But to achieve this Europe needed to recast the world in its own image, to create the same infrastructures and similar institutions that would permit resources to be exploited and trade conducted (MacKenzie 99). This shows that imperialistic rule by Britain and other European nations was not solely economic but more so a way to gain materials, trade materials, and expand their cultures and receive outside cultural influence through imperialistic rule rather than using imperialistic
Even though the british were a huge factor in the indian revolution the caused more bad then they didn good… the created administration over 500 million people they created indian army and trained officers on the other hand the framework to the administration did not include indians the british trained officers were used to control indian pedestrians. The british established control over 500 million diverse people (P6) the framework did not include indians for every 900 british there was only 60 indians
8. Restless Colonists *20,000 British soldiers were overly confident. * The French and Indian War proved that Britain’s invincibility was a myth.
As English shifted their focus on fighting wars, the colonies were left by “salutary neglect” to “develop self-reliance and their own ideas of government”.
a. The British people are referred to as “our British brethren.” They and the colonists share a “common kindred”. But they, like King George, “have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.” Thus, the British people must be held, like the rest of the world is help, as “enemies in war, in peace, friends.” The king and Parliament bear the brunt of the colonist “wrath.” It is the king who is charged with all their grievances. His history is one “of repeated injuries and usurpations.”
from economy to culture, Great Britain thrived and controlled most of the world. But finally,the
Great Britain is a country founded by a union, the Act of Union, of 1707, states that England and Scotland should be united into one kingdom which they named Great Britain! Even though it has been many years since the 19th and 20th century many facts have not changed from that time. Great Britain till this day is part of the greatest powers of allies of the world. In this paper we are going to talk about the alliance system and about the new imperialism in Great Britain by answering a few questions. First, what alliances did Great Britain belong to and who were their primarily allies and what were
The French and Indian War was a pivotal turning point for the relationship between Britain and its American colonies. Prior to the French and Indian War, the colonies experienced salutary neglect, which consisted of Britain ignoring the colonies to deal with problems happening in Europe. On the contrary, during and after the war, Britain started to be more involved in their colonies by being present in the colonies, expecting money from them, and putting restrictions on the colonist’s freedom.
The colonial economy, geography, and politics had all been subjected to unfair consequences. The acts that were passed served as a way for England to push the responsibility its debt and issues on the colonists. If the colonists’ grievances were appealed, the colonists may have never rebelled against their mother
The effects of the French and Indian War laid the groundwork for what would become the American Revolution and, ultimately, the United States. The British’s victory at the conclusion of the French
Throughout the history of the world, imperialism has played a major role. Imperialism is one country’s complete domination of the political, economic, and social life of another country. Imperialism has many positive and negative effects. The Age of Imperialism is considered 1800 - 1914. During this time Europe became a major world leader. European countries set up colonies all over Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and encouraged their citizens to populate them. European imperialism boosted Europe’s economy, and made them a world power. Imperialization had an entirely different effect on Africa, Latin America, and Asia. People of these countries were mistreated, they lost their culture, land, and self respect. The negative effects of
In contrast, some divisions of the colonial population supported Britain whole-heartedly with their lives. They delighted in the short-lived emboldened ties. A New England minister proclaimed “…the Children of New England may be glad and triumph, in Reflection on Events past, and Prospects for the future…” (Document E). Comprehensibly, he felt that Britain gave them a future, that they owed their lives to their mother country. “…Mother, who has most generously rescued and protected us, [must] be served and honored…” (Document E). This is a deep contrast to the ways of thinking possessed by the soldiers and Native Americans, and it would not last long.
Colley’s argument is able to highlight a different experience of the British Empire – one of weakness and exposure to captivity. This seems to be remarkably different from reality because of what has been indoctrinated into our academic minds in all history lessons from grade school until college. However, this reality Colley depicts is not fantasy, but, in fact, a separate reality felt in a different area of the British Empire and a different times. In the Mediterranean imperial frontier, Colley portrays an overly advantageous Britain. As a result of their desire to civilize and utilize Tangier as a strategic naval base, the British were losing their people due to a lack of preparedness for land battles. In addition, in the American imperial frontier, there were many Native Americans that are looked at as savages hoping to prevent the cultivation and civilization of a “free” land. Some people accused Native Americans of being ruthless, meaning to harm the British as an act of retaliation for
Someone might say that imperialism was not a bad thing because it was bigger more able countries fighting in favor of the smaller, but it was not because it killed a lot of innocent civilians, killed developing economies by draining resources, forced beliefs and got rid of different
. At the expense of the English colonies, the employment of mercantilist policies permitted the British Empire to prosper in wealth and power.