BRITISH EMPIRE TIME LINE

1558-1603 = The foundations of the British Empire = the name given to United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the former dominions,
colonies and territories that owed allegiance to the British Crown up until the
20th century

- laid during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. At its height, the British Empire
controlled more than 20 per cent of world's territory, and ruled more than 400
million of its people. Today, Ireland is politically divided into two regions: The
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which remains within the UK.

1580 Sir Francis Drake is the first Englishman to sail around the world.

1585 British Empire's first attempt at colonization by Sir Walter Raleigh at

Roanoke Island, off the North American eastern coast. The settlement doesn't
survive and the English make no further attempts until it makes peace with
Spain.

1600 Overseas commercial trade interests are established in the form of the
English East India Company.

1607 Jamestown = the first English settlement in North America

1620 the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts Bay and founded Plymouth Colony,
the first permanent Puritan settlement in New England. From the 1630s
onward, other religious colonies were established in Rhode Island, Connecticut
and Maryland.

1600s and 1700s the first British Empire, which focuses on the Americas and
to a lesser extent India. Mercantilism, an economic policy based on protected
trade monopolies and governmental manufacturing, is an important factor in
Britain's growth. The intent is to keep the country's exports higher than the
amount of imports.

1623 The first foothold in the West Indies transforming the tobacco boom into
a sugar kingdom, plantation economy is based on slavery, which gives rise to
the slave trade.
1651 The English Parliament passes the Navigation Act, which states imports
into English harbors and colonies could only be carried on English vessels or
ships of the producing company.

1655 England conquers the Spanish colony of Jamaica and it is the first
English colony taken by force.

1664 English presence increases along North America's East Coast, and in
1664 New Amsterdam was seized from the Netherlands and renamed New
York.

1670 The Hudson's Bay Company is established and holds a monopoly over
trade of the region and streams flowing into Hudson Bay in Canada. It is also
the year England and Spain sign the "Treaty of Madrid," and Spain
acknowledges English possessions in the Caribbean.

1672 The Royal Africa Company is formed and imports large numbers of
African slaves to the Caribbean.

1688 Continued war with France leads to further English expansion, and
colonies in New England grow rapidly with the Hudson's Bay Company
actively participating in the fur trade.

1700s Public interest in overseas affairs fades, and during his long premiership
Sir Robert Walpole adopts a policy of laissez-faire, in which the government
does not interfere in economic affairs. A movement of free trade ensues.
Despite this, sugar becomes the main import into Britain, fuelling the West
Indian plantation economy, and also brings 70,000 slaves annually across the
Atlantic.

1701-1714 During the War of the Spanish Succession, England (by now Great
Britain) and its allies fought France and Spain, and British forces captured
Acadia and Newfoundland, as well as the Spanish Islands of Gibraltar and
Minorca giving Britain territorial presence in the Mediterranean Sea. The
Peace of Utrecht (1713) resolved the war and affirmed the British Empire's
victory.

1707 Social instability in India; Britain and France fight for power during the
Carnatic Wars which focused on the Carnatic region on the east coast of South
India.
1756-1763 = the Seven Year's War are fought over control of Germany,
colonial North American and India. Britain makes enormous imperial gains
during the war, largely at the expense of France. In North America, conflict is
known as the French and Indian War, which is described as the harbinger of
the Seven Year's War and the fight for the greater empire - Britain attacked
French possessions in North America and in 1759 Quebec was captured,
ending the presence of France in Canada. The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven
Year's War and the French and Indian War, and as a result Britain gives
Guadeloupe and Martinique back to France but retains control of Canada.
The treaty confirms British dominance in India and North America.

1765 The British government wants to tap into American revenues and
therefore increases taxes through the Stamp Act, and colonists see this as a
violation of their rights so the act is repealed. However, other taxes are
imposed to compensate, which results in riots by colonies. In 1776, the United
Continental Congress establishes the Declaration of Independence and
eventually Britain loses its American colonies in 1783.

1769 The French East India Company loses France's financial support and the
British East India Company gains commercial monopoly. This year also
marks Europe's Industrial Revolution.

1783 Britain loses American colonies but its imperial influence increases
elsewhere in the world and its economy is hugely bolstered by the advent of
the Industrial Revolution. 1785 In an attempt to consolidate control over its
territory in India and Canada, the India Act is established and subjects the
East India Company to board control, and the administration of India is
placed into the hands of professional civil service.

1791 The Canada Act is established in an attempt to ease tensions between the
French and British by separating the region into primarily English Upper
Canada and French Lower Canada.

1799-1815 Britain's Mediterranean position and its route to the East were
secured during the Napoleonic Wars, largely because of the naval prowess of
British Admiral Horatio Nelson. Nelson's victories during the Battle of the
Nile, which resulted in British control of the entire Mediterranean, and the
Battle of Trafalgar, which prevented French fleets from entering Italy,
secured British naval superiority for much of the 19th century. The British
Empire remains a stronghold in Canada, South Africa, India and other Asian
regions.
1801 The United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland is officially
formed, including regions of Great Britain, Ireland and Scotland.

1800s-1900s the second British Empire = India, Canada and Australia. By this
time it controls roughly 20 per cent of the world's territory and some 400
million people, but growing nationalism among colonies eventually weakens
the empire. In 1824, Britain occupies Burma (Myanmar) to protect its
interests in India, and the empire also begins to grant what's known as
"responsible self-government." In 1867, Canada confederates, which allowed
Britain to withdraw its military presence in the country but retain control of
foreign affairs and external defense.

1804 Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, or Napoleon III, becomes Emperor of France

by popular acclaim, and sets out to build a great empire in an attempt to
conquer the world.

1854 British and French forces join the Ottoman Empire against Russia in the
Crimean War (1853-1856), which broke out due to the so-called Eastern
Question and the region of the frail Ottoman Empire (Turkey).

1858 Britain assumes direct authority of India through the British East India
Company.

1869 The completion of the Suez Canal facilitates trade with India, leading to
the British occupation of Egypt.

1871 Prussian victory over France marks the rise of the German Empire.

1899-1902 The British defeat the Dutch Boers of the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State in southern Africa, the strongest opponents to British
expansion. However, the British government grants South Africa self-
government in 1907, which paves the way for the Union of South Africa in
1910.

1914-1918 During World War I the British Empire remains largely united,
though many colonies express desire for independence. For example, the
Easter Rebellion in Ireland on April 24, 1916, reflects this discontent by Irish
nationalists.

1919 The Treat of Versailles, which essentially ends the First World War I,
gives Britain most of the German Empire in Africa, while the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire in the Middle East had led to the British acquisition of
Palestine and Iraq in the previous year. After the war, British government
grants independence or constitutional autonomy for many of its colonies.

1931 The Statute of Westminster eliminates control by the British Parliament

over dominion governments, and also establishes the British Commonwealth
of Nations (later the Commonwealth of Nations) as an association of equal and
independent states united by common allegiance to the British Crown.

1939-1945 Japan conquers some British possessions such as Hong Kong and
Burma during the Second World War. In 1941, British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill joins with United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in
signing the Atlantic Charter, which declares the right of self-determination for
all countries. Afterward, many colonies gain independence such as India and
Pakistan in 1947 and Ceylon, Burma and Palestine in 1948. Many African
nations gain independence swiftly during the 1950s and 1960s.

1949 = the Republic of Ireland completely disavows itself from the British
Crown and the Commonwealth of Nations.

1997 Hong Kong remains under British control until July 1, 1997, when it is
returned to the People's Republic of China and is now officially known as the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Today there are 54 nations included in the Commonwealth.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
The North American colonies: the First British Empire

The 13 American colonies attracted religious emigrees, farmers and

merchants from the British Isles. They would be augmented by Europeans and
would also start the importation of slaves from Africa. Together, these
colonists would build one of the most commercially successful realms in the
British Empire.

The War of Independence was a complicated affair caused by the interests of

the colonisers being pitted against the interests of the Imperial government;
generally, over land and money. A long, drawn-out campaign, with French
and Spanish interventions, saw the eventual humiliation of the Imperial
government as it was forced to relinquish control over these colonies. The
financial and diplomatic costs of this disaster would curb any British interest
for Imperial endeavours for years to come.

The coast of Canada was initially colonised in much the same way as the 13
American colonies, but with the added complication of the presence of the
French. The War of Independence shaped Canada in that it acted as a safe
haven for loyalists fleeing from the rest of the Americas. This massive influx of
British subjects tilted the delicate balance with the French and helped to turn
Canada into a most loyal colony.
South America

The British didn't need to exert formal control over the countries and peoples
of this continent. The Monroe doctrine imposed by America, served British
interests quite well enough.

The Monroe Doctrine: - United States policy introduced in 1823, by President

James Monroe which said that further efforts by European governments to
colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the
United States as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. It became a
defining moment in the foreign policy of the US. and one of its longest-
standing tenets, invoked by U.S. presidents.
Africa
The continent of Africa provided some of the earliest and many of the latest
colonies of Empire. The earliest colonies, on the West Coast of Africa, were a
legacy of the fabulous fortunes that could be made out of the Slave Trade in
that area. Gold and ivory were other lures for early traders of all European
countries. Fortunately for many Africans the climate and naturally occurring
diseases meant that most Europeans found it difficult to live in the equatorial
areas of Africa. Malaria was the chief barrier to early colonization.

Advances in technology eventually provided Europeans with the means to

colonise Africa at a time of peculiarly intense competition between the
European powers. Hence, the scramble for Africa provided the British Empire
with a substantial increase in her African territories. The already impressive
African presence was further added to with the defeat of Germany in the
Great War and the confiscation of her colonies.

The Dark Continent held intense fascination for many of the British public.
Missionaries and explorers brought back stories and tales of wonderful beasts,
colourful peoples and incredible geography. It is not hard to see why
Victorians were so keen on expansion of Empire into this the most mysterious
of continents.
Asia
Asia provided one of the first commercial reasons for establishing and
maintaining an Imperial presence through the hugely rewarding spice trade.
From the sixteenth century, European ships could make fortunes carrying
exotic foodstuffs from the Orient back to the cities and peoples of Europe. A
combination of European state rivalry and technical expertise over the local
populations made the extension of Imperial control possible and commercially
desirable. The Dutch, Spanish, French and Portuguese all vied with Britain for
access to these rich commodities that could often fetch their weight in silver
and gold back in the European market.

Over time, increased size and speed of ships reduced the value of these
products as supply approached the demand for the spices. However, Asia
maintained its commercial viability by the existence of the enormous economic
powerhouses of both China and India. Textiles, Tea and Opium would provide
economic incentives for trade throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and even
up to the twentieth century. Control over the sources of these commodities and
naval bases to protect the shipping lanes meant that Imperial control was
taken as economically and strategically necessary. Asia was always the most
commercially successful area of Imperial endeavor.
South East Asia
South East Asia was the location of the fabled Spice Islands. These
islands attracted European sailors and adventurers since the
Elizabethan era for fame and fortune. Consequently, South East Asia
provided plenty of competition between the European powers as the
Dutch, Portuguese and British fought one another for commercial
advantage in the area.

Even when the spice market grew less important, the region still
maintained its commercial and strategic importance by being the main
trade route to the highly profitable Chinese markets. The busy sea lanes
would also attract the more unsavoury attention of pirates and
brigands; a reputation which the region has still not managed to shake
off to this day.

The colourful peoples and places of this region, the maritime traditions
of the area and the exotic climes all combined to make this area into one
of the wilder and more fascinating areas of the Empire.
Pacific
Sheer distance did not prevent the British from establishing a strong presence
in the Pacific region. The seafaring nation appreciated the strategic
importance of islands and bases to re-supply her ships in. The combination of
vast distances, isolation from Europe and the strength of the Royal Navy
meant that Britain was in a prime position to establish dominance in the
region.

The name of Captain Cook is synonymous with British history in this region.
His cartographic endeavours filled in some of the last missing pieces of the
world map jigsaw puzzle. The beautiful islands and lands that he described
would spur intrepid explorers and Christian missionaries to the region. These
two groups of British society were often the shock troops of Imperial advance;
disrupting local societies through challenging local customs and authority
figures and dazzling locals with the products of Industrial Europe. The
isolation of the pacific islands also meant that local peoples could offer little or
no resistance to even a single British ship.

The remoteness and isolation of Australia actually contributed to her Imperial

usefulness, by providing a suitable location to dump Britain's undesirables in.
The pleasant climate of New Zealand was to attract a different class of British
immigrant throughout the nineteenth century. Together, these two colonies
would transform themselves into two of the most successful of Britain's
colonies.
The Commonwealth of Nations (the Commonwealth or the British
Commonwealth)
- Intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states.

Most of them were formerly parts of the British Empire. They co-operate
within a framework of common values and goals: promotion of democracy,
humanitarian rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty,
egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, world peace.

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the sixteen sovereign states within the
Commonwealth of Nations that recognize Elisabeth II as their respective
monarch.These countries are independent kingdoms, and the sovereign is
separately monarch of each state; thus, the Commonwealth Realms are in
personal union with one another.

Current Commonwealth Realms

Flag Country

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Grenada
Jamaica
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea

Saint Kits and Nevis

Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
 United Kingdom

Commonwealth Realms Map