The rise of Great Britain began in the early 16th century and lasted until the mid-19th Century. There were several key factors in Britain’s rapid growth as an international empire. Britain 's development at this time had an important international and military dimension. An empire based on sea power, commerce and naval dominance consolidated British overseas colonization and trade. Three key factors facilitated Britain’s rise to power, the first is warfare, the second is colonization and the third is trade. One of England’s main adversaries was Spain. In May of 1702 England, Austria and the Dutch declared war to begin the ‘War of of the Spanish Succession.” The cause of the war was due to the death of the King of Spain, Charles the Colonization was important because it allowed trade and exploration. By colonizing in North America, England could further explore Canada. Colonization also helped establish the slave trade. Colonizing in India benefited England because it diversified their produce supply. There was great benefit in India. England could acquire resources that they could not have come across otherwise. These include peppers, spices and teas. In other words, in order to trade effectively the English had to set up a colony from which they could trade. Britian understood this and had a lot of colonies globally. Britain possessed colonies along the eastern seaboard of North America at the beginning of the 18th Century, as well as a number of islands in the Caribbean. The U.S. state of Georgia became a British Crown Colony in 1732 and Britain acquired the Ceded Islands of the Caribbean in 1763. Successively Britain later acquired colonies in New South Wales, Sierra Leone, Trinidad, Mauritius and the Cape. Colonization was as far reaching as Bengal and Madras. “The Empire on which the sun never sets” is a very accurate statement. Likewise, the British needed to be reimbursed for establishing these colonies. They had to use the colonies to create growth for their
There was tremendous competition between European states for power and wealth. England wanted to limit France in the new world and as time went on, the conflict grew and the French and English colonies got involved as well as the Spanish ones. Both King Williams’s war and Queen Anne’s War ended in a negotiated peace and had little effect on the colonies, but both had accompanying wars in Europe. King William’s was the War of the League of Augsburg in Europe and Queen Anne’s War was the War of the Spanish Succession in Europe. In the eighteenth century, the European states depended on borrowing to fund their wars, but the English were the first not to pay off the debt when the war was over. The English instead just paid the interest on the debt, but as the debt
There were many social factors that encouraged English colonization, but the primary ones were economic and religious. North America provided opportunities for economic growth, that England did not have available to them. For example, in the future colonies, they had more fertile land, and more temperate climates, which would allow for crops with a high monetary value such as cotton and tobacco to be grown. There was also a sign that North America housed English pirates, which brought in a certain amount of economic stimulus. There were many families that believed that locked borders of England were negatively impacting the poverty levels within their country. In addition, slavery was a major economic boost, which encouraged and even forced migration to North
They formed many colonies that became very successful and were able to provide for themselves as well. Spain, France, and Great Britain all colonized North America seeking money and trade. Spain differed in their strategy to colonize because it was more religiously motivated than France and Great Britain. France’s colonial strategy was to create trade, and tried to avoid cultural centers, or large populations, which made it very hard to enforce what they wanted done. Many of France’s colonies were either dispersed from wars or were sold. Great Britain’s colonial strategy was to create colonies that were able to thrive, to create trade, and extend their empire. Many of the colonies were able to thrive and sustain life without the need for much help. They were able to create trade through their colonies producing goods and shipping them back overseas to them. Also, the number of colonies Great Britain had made it easy to extend their empire in North
America was originally colonized because European countries were looking for an easier way to the Indies. This brings forth the thought that colonization made life easier for the Europeans. It brought luxuries and items that were needed to countries that requested them and it encouraged more trade throughout the countries. Though this was advantageous for the Europ...
They built roads and railroads. British rule brought peace and order to the countryside. They revised the legal system to promote justice for the Indians, regardless of class. Indian landowners and princes, who still owned territory, grew rich from exporting cash crops such as cotton and jute. The British introduced the telegraph and the postal system as a means of communication.
To begin with, one can observe that the British colonizers did indeed improve Indian civilization by developing means of communication and transport. They built a great number of bridges, over 40,000 miles of railway and paving an astounding 70,000 miles of road (Doc. 4). They established schools,newspapers and telegraphs for the people of the colonies.All blessings of civilization they could not create for themselves (Doc. 1). Furthermore, the British brought 30 million acres under cultivation with large scale irrigation works, began industrialization, improved sanitation and provided an overall higher standard of living (Doc. 4). With many new establishments and institutions to staff, job opportunities opened up left and right for Indian workers.Their contributions to Indian civilization made famine all but disappear throughout India. Without the British, it’s quite possible India could not achi...
There were many reasons why the colonists came to North America. One reason was because they wanted to escape King Edward so they could fallow freely their own religion and to seek riches. Also the Puritans came to North America because they wanted a lace to practice their religion without fear of the government. Also that the religion they wanted to practice was considered more fundamentalist than what was being practiced from where they came. the English colonies were successful in North America was because the British tried so many times to get more money the colonists got mad and boycotted- refuse to use-the British goods. Then the British government kind of loosened their restraints and gave the American colonists some freedom.
Economic concerns of the British caused the colonization of British North America. Such economic concerns included the opportunity to acquire gold, silver, a North American waterway that would lead directly to China and the Indies, and the prospect of countering Spain's dominance in North America (Boorstin et al. 34). In addition to these economic reasons for colonization, the English were also seeking to obtain the essential "raw materials" in America that they had been previously buying from other European countries for exorbitant amounts of money and gold (Boorstin et al. 34). Great Britain also sought to solve other economic problems through American colonization. For example, England needed to replenish some of its diminishing materials and assets, generate another "market" to export its cargo and merchandise, maintain its powerful navy and "merchant marine" through business with new American colonies, and to provide a new place for the unemployed to settle rather than escalating populace/crime and the economic burden in its own cities (Boorstin et al. 34).
Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries in England, there was a great time of triumph, both militarily and economically. Turning the page into the eighteenth century, England was beginning to gain larger land assets globally. This was happening primarily through an alliance between England, Portugal, and the Netherlands siding with the holy Roman empire against Spain and France in the War of Spanish Succession [6]. The conflict raged from 1701 to 1714 amongst the parties, over who had the right to succeed Charles the second as king of Spain [6]. Several battles are considered classics in military history, notably the Grand Alliance victories at Blenheim (1704) and Railleries (1706), which drove the French forces from Germany and the Netherlands, and the Franco-Bourbon Spanish victory at Almansa (1707), which in turn broke the Grand Alliance hold over Spain [4]. The war concluded with the Peace of Utrecht (1713), in which the warring states recognized the French candidate as King Philip V of Spain in exchange for territorial and economic concessions. The British Empire was territorially enlarged: from France, gaining Newfoundland and Acadia, and grabbing Gibraltar and Minorca from Spain [4],[5]. Gibraltar, which is still a British overseas territory to this day, became a critical naval base and allowed Britain to control the Atlantic entry and exit point to the Mediterranean [6]. By the 1720's England was in line to be one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful force in the world at that time [6]. As famed author Daniel Defoe said “we are the most diligent nation in the world. Vast trade, rich manufactures, mighty wealth, universal correspondence, and happy success have been constant companions of England, and gi...
In the 16th century, England was a small nation compared to the massive, influential and seemingly invincible power that was Spain, therefore the defeat of the Spanish Armada was a cause to celebrate for the English, as they marked their place as an important and powerful country. The balance of world power was shifting from Spain to England and France, meaning that exploring and settling was no longer limited to the Spainairds.
The English also built many institutions in India and set up a productive government. "They have framed wise laws and have established courts of justice"(The Economic History Of India Under Early British Rule). In addition to all these positive effects, Britain also linked India to the modern world through modern science and modern thought. However, where the is good, there has to be bad. British colonization of India had its drawbacks.
Britain was endowed with geographic and political advantages that allowed the country to become the first to unwittingly stumble onto industrialization. Britain was an island, therefore had developed a unique naval strength which subsequently gave Britain leverage when globalization blossomed from expanding maritime trade. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe, including Belgium, trailed behind. Presently, colonized regions still bear the traits and scars from the subjugators of their past. Intensity of Rule: [comparing conquerors].
North America in the early eighteenth century was split between the three major imperial powers of the time, Great Britain, France and Spain. This period was a crucial moment in the colonial history of these three powers due to the expanding nature of their colonies, constantly looking to grab more land and resources for the nation at home. However, before the turn of the century, Great Britain had gone from a few colonies on the east coast of the continent, with the smallest amount of land claimed, to owning the largest part of the New World and obtaining almost complete control over North America. This dominance was not caused by the downfall of France or Spain’s colonies, at least not through their own fault. But rather through Britain’s
While Britain had positive GDP growth during the Golden Age, it didn’t achieve quite the same impressive growth rates that its neighbours in Europe did, due to investment growing faster that productivity, which was partially caused by having lower social investment levels, and there being less opportunity for catch-up growth in Britain.
The War of Spanish Succession is another example of when Scottish politics was seen to be of lesser importance to English ministers. King Carlos II of Spain died in 1700 without an heir. He left the Spanish throne to Philip of Anjou, the grandson of Louis XIV of France. England saw this, as a threat as of France and Spain would become united when on the death of Louis XIV. Louis XIV recognised James II and VII’s son as the rightful heir not Queen Anne. This led to the Spanish War of Succession, which was fought to ensure the threat of French dominance in Europe. Scotland, again, was not considered in this decision and was completely ignored on whether they wanted to fight in this war. This decision by English minsters prompted Scotland to pass