Quote: "It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries."
The expansion of the British Empire during the Victorian era, and the impact of colonialism and imperialism on both British society and the countries under British rule.
The Origins of Colonialism: The historical background of colonialism, including European exploration, the rise of empire, and the motivations behind colonial expansion.
Imperialism: The development of imperialism as a political and economic system, and the role played by imperialism in shaping the world order of the colonial era.
Colonialism and Social Hierarchies: The social hierarchies within colonial societies, including the ways in which race, class, and gender were used to establish and maintain power.
Economic and Trade Policies: The economic policies of colonial powers, including mercantilism and free trade, and the impact of these policies on colonial economies.
Political Systems: The nature of colonial government, including its institutions and practices, and the relationship between colonial administrators and indigenous elites.
Colonial Resistance and Revolts: The various forms of resistance and revolt against colonial rule, including nationalist movements, guerrilla warfare, and civil disobedience.
Cultural Domination and Resistance: The ways in which colonial powers sought to control or erase indigenous cultures, and the resistance offered by indigenous peoples to this assimilation.
Colonialism and the Environment: The impact of European colonization on the natural environment, including the exploitation of natural resources, and the displacement of indigenous peoples from their lands.
Migration, Population Movements, and Diasporas: The movement of peoples both within and between colonial territories, including the forced migration of slaves, indentured laborers, and settlers.
Decolonization: The process of decolonization, including its origins, progress, and impact on post-colonial societies.
Settler Colonialism: This form of colonialism involves the active settlement of foreign lands by the colonial powers, usually with the intent of permanently occupying and exploiting them.
Economic Imperialism: This type of imperialism is focused on extracting resources and wealth from a colony, often through exploitative economic practices.
Cultural Imperialism: This form of imperialism involves imposing the cultural values and practices of the colonizing power on the colonized people, often through education and media.
Scientific Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the imposition of scientific knowledge and practices on the colonies, often to further the interests of the colonial powers.
Religious Imperialism: This form of imperialism involves the imposition of a particular religious ideology on the colonized people, often to justify colonial rule and control.
Political Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the imposition of political systems and structures on the colonies that are modeled after those of the colonizing power, often to maintain control and domination.
Military Imperialism: This form of imperialism involves the use of military force to conquer and subjugate foreign lands, often to gain access to strategic resources or to secure strategic positions.
Environmental Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the plundering and exploitation of natural resources in the colonies, often leading to environmental degradation and destruction.
Sports Imperialism: This form of imperialism involves the exportation of sports and sporting practices to the colonies, often as a means of consolidating or asserting cultural and national identity.
Linguistic Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the imposition of a particular language on the colonized people, often to facilitate communication and control.
Quote: "By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23 per cent of the world population at the time."
Quote: "By 1920, it covered 35.5 million km2 (13.7 million sq mi), 24 per cent of the Earth's total land area."
Quote: "As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was described as 'the empire on which the sun never sets', as the Sun was always shining on at least one of its territories."
Quote: "During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires."
Quote: "A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Netherlands and France left England (Britain, following the 1707 Act of Union with Scotland) the dominant colonial power in North America."
Quote: "The American War of Independence resulted in Britain losing some of its oldest and most populous colonies in North America by 1783."
Quote: "British colonial expansion turned towards Asia, Africa, and the Pacific."
Quote: "After the defeat of France in the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), Britain emerged as the principal naval and imperial power of the 19th century and expanded its imperial holdings."
Quote: "The period of relative peace (1815–1914) during which the British Empire became the global hegemon was later described as Pax Britannica (Latin for 'British Peace')."
Quote: "Alongside the formal control that Britain exerted over its colonies, its dominance of much of world trade meant that it effectively controlled the economies of many regions, such as Asia and Latin America."
Quote: "By the start of the 20th century, Germany and the United States had begun to challenge Britain's economic lead."
Quote: "Military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of the First World War, during which Britain relied heavily on its empire."
Quote: "Britain's colonies in East Asia and Southeast Asia were occupied by the Empire of Japan."
Quote: "India, Britain's most valuable and populous possession, achieved independence in 1947 as part of a larger decolonisation movement, in which Britain granted independence to most territories of the empire."
Quote: "The Suez Crisis of 1956 confirmed Britain's decline as a global power."
Quote: "The transfer of Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997 symbolized for many the end of the British Empire."
Quote: "Fourteen overseas territories that are remnants of the empire remain under British sovereignty."
Quote: "After independence, many former British colonies, along with most of the dominions, joined the Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of independent states."
Quote: "Fifteen of these, including the United Kingdom, retain a common monarch, currently King Charles III."