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British Empire

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For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, seeTerritorial evolution of the British Empire.

British Empire

Flag

The areas of the world that at one time were part of the British Empire. Current British Overseas

Territorieshave their names underlined in red.

The British Empire comprised thedominions,colonies, protectorates,mandatesand otherterritoriesruled or administered by theUnited

Kingdom. It originated with theoverseas possessionsandtrading postsestablished byEnglandbetween the late 16th and early 18th

centuries. At its height, it was thelargestempirein history and, for over a century, was the foremostglobal power.[1]

By 1922 the British

Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world's population at the time.[2]The empire covered more than 33,700,000

km2 (13,012,000 sq mi), almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area.[3][4]As a result, its political,legal,linguisticandculturallegacy is

widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire", because its span across the globe

ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous territories.

During theAge of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, PortugalandSpainpioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the

process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England,France, and theNetherlands,

began to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia.[5]A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with

the Netherlands and France left England (and then, followingunion between England and Scotland in 1707, Great Britain) the

dominantcolonial powerin North America and India.

The loss of theThirteen Coloniesin North America in 1783 after awar of independencedeprived Britain of some of its oldest and most

populous colonies. British attention soon turned towards Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Following the defeat ofNapoleonic Francein 1815,

Britain enjoyed a century of almost unchallenged dominance and expanded its imperial holdings across the globe. Increasing degrees of

autonomy were granted to itswhitesettler colonies, some of which were reclassified asdominions.
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By the end of the 19th centuryGermanyand theUnited Stateshad eroded Britain's economic lead. Subsequent military and economic

tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of theFirst World War, during which Britain relied heavily upon its empire. The

conflict placed enormous financial and population strain on Britain, and although the empire achieved its largest territorial extent

immediately after the war, it was no longer a peerless industrial or military power. TheSecond World Warsaw Britain's colonies inSouth-

East Asiaoccupied byJapan. Despite the eventual victory of Britain and its allies, this damaged British prestige and accelerated the decline

of the empire.British India, Britain's most valuable and populous possession, achieved independence two years after the end of the war.

After the end of the Second World War, as part of a largerdecolonisationmovement, Britain granted independence to most of the terri tories

of the British Empire. This process ended with the political transfer ofHong Kong toChina in 1997. The 14British Overseas

Territoriesremain under British sovereignty. After independence, many former British colonies joined theCommonwealth of Nations, a free

association of independent states. Sixteen Commonwealth nations share theirhead of state, QueenElizabeth II, asCommonwealth realms.

Contents

[hide]

1 Origins (14971583)

o 1.1 Plantations of Ireland

2 First British Empire (15831783)

o 2.1 Americas, Africa and the slave t rade

o 2.2 Rivalry with the Netherlands in Asia

o 2.3 Global struggles with France

3 Rise of the Second British Empire (17831815)

o

3.1 Company rule in India

o 3.2 Loss of the Thirteen American Colonies

o 3.3 Exploration of the Pacific

o 3.4 War with Napoleonic France

o 3.5 Abolition of slavery

4 Britain's imperial century (18151914)

o 4.1 East India Company in Asia

o 4.2 Rivalry with Russia

o

4.3 Cape to Cairoo 4.4 Changing status of the white colonies

5 World wars (19141945)

o 5.1 First World War

o 5.2 Inter-war period & Irish War o f Independence

o 5.3 Second World War
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6 Decolonisation and decline (19451997)

o 6.1 Initial disengagement

o 6.2 Suez and its aftermath

o

6.3 Wind of change

o 6.4 End of empire

7 Legacy

8 See also

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

Origins (14971583)

A replica ofThe Matthew,John Cabot's ship used for his second voyage to theNew World

The foundations of the British Empire were laid whenEnglandandScotlandwere separate kingdoms. In 1496 KingHenry VII of England,

following the successes ofSpainandPortugal in overseas exploration, commissionedJohn Cabotto lead a voyage to discover a route to

Asia via theNorth Atlantic.[6]Cabot sailed in 1497, five years after thediscovery of America, and although he successfully made landfall on

the coast ofNewfoundland (mistakenly believing, likeChristopher Columbus, that he had reached Asia),[7] there was no attempt to found

acolony. Cabot led another voyage to the Americas the following year but nothing was heard of his ships again.[8]

No further attempts to establish English colonies in the Americas were made until well into the reign ofElizabeth I, during the last decades

of the 16th century.[9]TheProtestant Reformationhad made enemies of England andCatholicSpain.[6]In 1562, theEnglish

Crownsanctioned theprivateersJohn HawkinsandFrancis Draketo engage in slave-raiding attacks against Spanish and Portuguese

ships off the coast ofWest Africa[10]with the aim of breaking into the Atlantic trade system. This effort was rebuffed and later, as theAnglo-

Spanish Warsintensified, Elizabeth lent her blessing to further piratical raids against Spanish ports in the Americas and shipping that was
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returning across the Atlantic, laden with treasure from theNew World.[11]At the same time, influential writers such asRichard

HakluytandJohn Dee (who was the first to use the term "British Empire")[12]were beginning to press for the establishment of England's

own empire. By this time, Spain was entrenched in the Americas, Portugal had established trading posts and forts from the coasts of Africa

andBrazil to China, andFrancehad begun to settle theSaint Lawrence River, later to becomeNew France.[13]

Plantations of Ireland

Although England lagged behind other European powers in establishing overseas colonies, it had been engaged during the 16th century in

the settlement of Ireland, drawing on precedents dating back to theNorman invasion of Irelandin 1169.[14][15]Several people who helped

establish thePlantations of Irelandalso played a part in the early colonisation of North America, particularly a group known as theWest

Country men.[16]

First British Empire (15831783)

Main article:English overseas possessions

In 1578, Queen Elizabeth Igranted a patent toHumphrey Gilbertfor discovery and overseas exploration.[17]That year, Gilbert sailed for

theWest Indieswith the intention of engaging in piracy and establishing a colony in North America, but the expedition was aborted before i t

had crossed the Atlantic.[18][19]In 1583 he embarked on a second attempt, on this occasion to the island ofNewfoundlandwhose harbour he

formally claimed for England, although no settlers were left behind. Gilbert did not survive the return journey to England, and was

succeeded by his half-brother,Walter Raleigh, who was granted his own patent by Elizabeth in 1584. Later that year, Raleigh founded the

colony ofRoanokeon the coast of present-dayNorth Carolina, but lack of supplies caused the colony to fail.[20]

In 1603, KingJames VI of Scotlandascended to the English throne and in 1604 negotiated theTreaty of London, ending hostilities

withSpain. Now at peace with its main rival, English attention shifted from preying on other nations' colonial infrastructure to the business of

establishing its own overseas colonies.[21]The British Empire began to take shape during the early 17th century, with theEnglish

settlementof North America and the smaller islands of theCaribbean, and the establishment ofprivate companies, most notably theEnglish

East India Company, to administer colonies and overseas trade. This period, until the loss of theThirteen Coloniesafter theAmerican War

of Independence towards the end of the 18th century, has subsequently been referred to as the "First British Empire".[22]

Americas, Africa and the slave trade

Main articles: British colonization of the Americas, British America, andThirteen Colonies

TheCaribbean initially provided England's most important and lucrative colonies,[23]but not before several attempts at colonisation failed.

An attempt to establish a colony inGuiana in 1604 lasted only two years, and failed in its main objective to findgolddeposits.[24]Colonies

inSt Lucia(1605) andGrenada(1609) also rapidly folded, but settlements were successfully established inSt.

Kitts(1624),Barbados(1627) andNevis(1628).[25]The colonies soon adopted the system ofsugar plantationssuccessfully used by the

Portuguese inBrazil, which depended onslave labour, andat firstDutch ships, to sell theslavesand buy the sugar.[26]To ensure that

the increasingly healthy profits of this trade remained in English hands, Parliamentdecreedin 1651 that only English ships would be able to

ply their trade in English colonies. This led to hostilities with theUnited Dutch Provincesa series ofAnglo-Dutch Warswhich would
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ndia_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonization_of_the_Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonization_of_the_Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Luciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Luciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Luciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbadoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbadoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbadoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_Actshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_Actshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_Actshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_Actshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbadoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kittshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Luciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonization_of_the_Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privately_held_companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonization_of_the_Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonization_of_the_Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_London_(1604)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Raleighhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_(island)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbeanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Gilberthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_overseas_possessionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Country_menhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Country_menhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantations_of_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_invasion_of_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonial_empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Deehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hakluythttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hakluythttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World


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eventually strengthen England's position in the Americas at the expense of the Dutch.[27]In 1655, England annexed the island

ofJamaica from the Spanish, and in 1666 succeeded in colonising theBahamas.[28]

Map of British colonies in North America, 17631776

England's first permanent settlement in the Americas was founded in 1607 inJamestown, led by CaptainJohn Smithand managed by

theVirginia Company.Bermudawas settled and claimed by England as a result of the 1609 shipwreck there of the Virginia

Company'sflagship, and in 1615 was turned over to the newly-formedSomers Isles Company.[29]

The Virginia Company's charter was

revoked in 1624 and direct control of Vi rginia was assumed by thecrown, thereby founding theColony of Virginia.[30]TheNewfoundland

Companywas created in 1610 with the aim of creating a permanent settlement on Newfoundland, but was largely unsuccessful.[31] In

1620,Plymouthwas founded as a haven forpuritanreligious separatists, later known as thePilgrims.[32]Fleeing fromreligious

persecutionwould become the motive of many English would-be colonists to risk the arduoustrans-Atlantic voyage:Marylandwas founded

as a haven forRoman Catholics(1634),Rhode Island(1636) as a colony tolerant of all religions and Connecticut (1639)

forCongregationalists. TheProvince of Carolinawas founded in 1663. With the surrender ofFort Amsterdam in 1664, England gained

control of the Dutch colony ofNew Netherland, renaming it New York. This was formalised in negotiations following theSecond Anglo-

Dutch War, in exchange forSuriname.[33]In 1681, the colony ofPennsylvaniawas founded byWilliam Penn. The American colonies were

less financially successful than those of the Caribbean, but had large areas of good agricultural land and attracted far larger numbers of

English emigrants who preferred their temperate climates.[34]

African slaves working in 17th-centuryVirginia, by an unknown artist, 1670

In 1670, King Charles IIgranted a charter to theHudson's Bay Company, granting it a monopoly on thefur trade in what was then known

asRupert's Land, a vast stretch of territory that would later make up a large proportion ofCanada. Forts and trading posts established by

the Company were frequently the subject of attacks by the French, who had established their own fur trading colony in adjacentNew

France.[35]
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ipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert%27s_Landhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert%27s_Landhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert%27s_Landhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-buckner25-35http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-buckner25-35http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-buckner25-35http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_colonies_1763-76_shepherd1923.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-buckner25-35http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert%27s_Landhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-34http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pennhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Pennsylvaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surinamehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Netherlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Amsterdamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Carolinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregational_churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Rhode_Island_and_Providence_Plantationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Marylandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_crossinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_persecutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_persecutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-32http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-31http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_and_Bristol_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_and_Bristol_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_colonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somers_Isles_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Venturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermudahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_(explorer)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown,_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bahamashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#cite_note-27


6/41

Two years later, theRoyal African Companywas inaugurated, receiving from King Charles a monopoly of the trade to supply slaves to the

British colonies of the Caribbean.[36]From the outset, slaverywas the basis of the British Empire in the West Indies. Until the abolition of the

slave trade in 1807, Britain was responsible for the transportation of 3.5 million African slaves to the Americas, a third of all slaves

transported across the Atlantic.[37]To facilitate this trade, forts were established on the coast ofWest Africa, such asJames

Island,AccraandBunce Island. In the BritishCaribbean, the percentage of the population of Af rican descent rose from 25 percent in 1650

to around 80 percent in 1780, and in the 13 Colonies from 10 percent to 40 percent over the same period (the majority in the southern

colonies).[38]For the slave traders, the trade was extremely profitable, and became a major economic mainstay for such westernBritish

citiesasBristolandLiverpool, which formed the third corner of the so-calledtriangular tradewith Africa and the Americas. For the

transported, harsh and unhygienic conditions on the slaving ships and poor diets meant that the averagemortality rateduring themiddle

passagewas one in seven.[39]

In 1695, theScottish parliamentgranted a charter to theCompany of Scotland, which established a settlement in 1698 on theisthmus of

Panama. Besieged by neighbouring Spanish colonists ofNew Granada, and afflicted bymalaria, the colony was abandoned two years

later. TheDarien schemewas a financial disaster for Scotlanda quarter of Scottish capital[40]was lost in the enterpriseand ended

Scottish hopes of establishing its own overseas empire. The episode also had major political consequences, persuading the governments

of both England and Scotland of the merits of a union of countries, rather than just crowns.[41]This occurred in 1707 with theTreaty of

Union, establishing theKingdom of Great Britain.

Rivalry with the Netherlands in Asia

Fort St. Georgewas founded atMadras in 1639.

At the end of the 16th century, England and the Netherlands began to challenge Portugal's monopoly of trade with Asia, forming

privatejoint-stockcompanies to finance the voyagesthe English, later British,East India Companyand theDutch East India Company,

chartered in 1600 and 1602 respectively. The primary aim of these companies was to tap into the lucrativespice trade, an effort focused

mainly on two regions; theEast Indies archipelago, and an important hub in the trade network, India. There, they competed for trade

supremacy with Portugal and with each other.[42]Although England would ultimately eclipse the Netherlands as a colonial power, in the

short term the Netherlands' more advanced financial system[43]and the threeAnglo-Dutch Warsof the 17th century left it with a stronger

position in Asia. Hostilities ceased after theGlorious Revolutionof 1688 when the DutchWilliam of Orangeascended the English throne,

bringing peace between the Netherlands and England. A deal between the two nations left the spice trade of the East Indies archipelago to

the Netherlands and the textiles industry of India to England, but textiles soon overtook spices in terms of profitability, and by 1720, in terms

of sales, the British company had overtaken the Dutch.[43]
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7/41

Global struggles with France

Peace between England and the Netherlands in 1688 meant that the two countries entered theNine Years' Waras allies, but the conflict

waged in Europe and overseas between France, Spain and the Anglo-Dutch allianceleft the English a stronger colonial power than the

Dutch, who were forced to devote a larger proportion of theirmilitary budgeton the costly land war in Europe.[44]The 18th century would

see England (after 1707, Britain) rise to be the world's dominant colonial power, and France becoming its main rival on the imperial

stage.[45]

Defeat of FrenchfireshipsatQuebecin 1759

The death ofCharles II of Spain in 1700 and his bequeathal of Spain and its colonial empire toPhilippe of Anjou, a grandson of theKing of

France, raised the prospect of the unification of France, Spain and their respective colonies, an unacceptable state of affairs for England

and the other powers of Europe.[46]In 1701, England, Portugal and the Netherlands sided with theHoly Roman Empireagainst Spain and

France in theWar of the Spanish Succession, which lasted until 1714. At the concludingTreaty of Utrecht, Philip renounced his and his

descendants' right to the French throne and Spain lost its empire in Europe.[46]The British Empire was territorially enlarged: from France,

Britain gainedNewfoundlandandAcadia, and from Spain,GibraltarandMinorca. Gibraltar, which is still aBritish territory, became a critical

naval base and allowed Britain to control the Atlantic entry and exit point to theMediterranean. Minorca was returned to Spain at theTreaty

of Amiens in 1802, after changing hands twice. Spain also ceded the rights to the lucrativeasiento(permission to sell slaves inSpanish

America) to Britain.[47]

TheSeven Years' War, which began in 1756, was the first war waged on a global scale, fought in Europe, India, North America,

theCaribbean, thePhilippinesand coastal Africa. The signing of theTreaty of Paris (1763)had important consequences for the future of the

British Empire. In North America, France's future as a colonial power there was effectively ended with the recognition of British claims

toRupert's Land,[35]and the ceding ofNew France to Britain (leaving a sizeableFrench-speaking populationunder British control)

andLouisianato Spain. Spain ceded Florida to Britain. In India, theCarnatic Warhad left France still in control of itsenclavesbut with

military restrictions and an obligation to support British client states, ending French hopes of controlling India.[48]The British victory over

France in the Seven Years' War therefore left Britain as the world's most powerful maritime power.

[49]

Rise of the Second British Empire (17831815)
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8/41

Robert Clive's victory at theBattle of Plasseyestablished the Company as a military as well as a commercial power.

Company rule in India

Main article:Company rule in India

During its first century of operation, theEnglish East India Company focused on trade with theIndian subcontinent, as it was not in a

position to challenge the powerful Mughal Empire,[50]which had granted it trading rights in 1617. This changed in the 18th century as the

Mughals declined in power and the East India Company struggled with its French counterpart, theCompagnie franaise des Indes

orientales, during theCarnatic Warsin the 1740s and 1750s. TheBattle of Plasseyin 1757, which saw the British, led byRobert Clive,

defeat theNawab of Bengaland hisFrenchallies, left the Company in control ofBengaland as the major military andpolitical powerin

India.[51]In the following decades it gradually increased the size of the territories under its control, either ruling directly or via local rulers

under the threat of force from theBritish Indian Army, the vast majority of which was composed of Indiansepoys.[52]British Indiaeventually

grew into the empire's most valuable possession, "the Jewel in the Crown"; covering a territory greater than that of theRoman Empire, it

was the most important source of Britain's strength, defining its status as the world's greatest power.[53]

Loss of the Thirteen American Colonies

Main article:American Revolution

During the 1760s and 1770s, relations between theThirteen Coloniesand Britain became increasingly strained, primarily because of

resentment of the British Parliament's attempts to govern and tax American colonists without their consent,[54]summarised at the time by

the slogan "No taxation without representation". Disagreement over the American colonists' guaranteed Rights as Englishmenresulted in

theAmerican Revolutionand the outbreak of theAmerican War of Independencein 1775. The following year, the colonistsdeclared the

independence of the United States. With assistance fromFrance, the United States would go on to win the war in 1783.
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Documents

British Empir1