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Culture Documents
During the reign of Elizabeth I, merchants had begun to travel across the world to find resources to collect and sell for profit back in Britain. They
were able to set up trading posts and businesses in these countries. The trading relationships were formalised when Britain started to rule these
countries directly as colonies. Below are 12 reasons why Britain built their Empire.
To improve education.
To develop their societies. To provide a market for finished goods.
Some argued that having an Empire would help to
Some argued countries should become part of the Raw materials from colonies were used to make
develop colonial societies by building schools,
British Empire so that they could have British ways goods back in British factories (e.g. raw cotton).
libraries and universities. They said this would
of life. For example: language, education, building They would then sell these finished goods (e.g.
create educated people who could improve their
design, law and order and medicine. textiles) for profit back to the colonial countries.
own communities and set up businesses.
Some felt that by taking the Christian religion to Companies such as the East India Company took
To gain more land than the other European other countries that this would make them into control of land in India and became rulers. They
powers (e.g. France and Belgium). This would better human beings and help them to become did this to protect their businesses and their
prevent them from becoming more powerful than gentlemen/women. They wanted to spread the resources. This sometimes involved using
Britain. It resulted in a Scramble for Africa word of the gospel. weapons to gain control.
Some British people were fundamentally racist Raw materials from the Empire could support the
and thought that other countries were inferior Industrial Revolution at home. For example,
and that therefore as a superior nation Britain Africa had many resources such as gold, diamonds
To become the most important power in the should rule them. Some argued that it was and cotton; India had tea, spices and coffee;
world: a Great Power. necessary to stop them from being savages. Canada had gold, wood and fish.
Many argued that being part of the Empire helped British rule was introduced to ensure peace and Each country that formed the Empire had
countries to sell and trade more, improved their order. For example, in India colonialsation was population that you could then rule over. This
industry and farming; and brought them British said to prevent the Rajahs (princes) from fighting population could then either be used as workers
inventions to improve their economies further. each other. War could be bad for trade! or even form part of your armed forces.