British Imperialism: The Fall Of The British Empire

The glorious British Empire, at its height the most powerful régime in the world. Just a small island off the western coast of Europe, Britain grew to the span across the entire globe, effectively creating am Empire where the sun never set. Colonization, industrialization and a sense of nationalistic destiny drove the once expansive Empire. We still see effects of British imperialism today, which our global economy, as well as national tensions that germinated as a result of decolonization. Moreover, industrial revolution and push for independence manifested as a result of British influence. The same features that defined the British Empire, nationalism and commerce, lead to its demise.

The “British Empire” began with one precocious country;

To dominate trade endeavors most wholly, the British operated through a fiscal-military state. Since the British formed a powerful navy following the creation of the Bank of England in 1694, the military was essential for the transport of goods around the Empire and the protection of its commodities. The fiscal-military state, along with mercantilism, allowed the early Empire to flourish. Mercantilism relied on powerful military to regulate the trade and ensure wealth stayed within the Empire. For instance, the raw cotton from the Caribbean colonies was shipped to England to process, and then sold throughout the Empire. This control of trade was a defining characteristic of the

One of the reasons of the fall of the Empire was its hypocrisy. General British attitudes was belief in natural rights of people and in some democratic rule, as demonstrated in the 1689 Bill of Rights. Consequently, people revolted on the same sentiments the British believed. The beginnings of this can be seen in 1776, with the American Declaration of Independence, eerily similar to English philosophies. Because Americans had no say in parliament, the word of parliament was questioned. In the same year, Adam Smith released Wealth of Nations, arguing for the economic success of a free market. This dramatically opposed a system like