attitudes to the british empire 1857-1967

  • Indian rebellion - media

    British were horrified by stories of massacres, tortures, the press depicted the British as heros e.g General Henry Havelock who recaptured Cawnpore in July, so much so that the British public paid for his statue - but ignored atrocities committed by British
  • international exhibiton

    featured over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries - displayed wide range of technology
  • not popular - select committee recommends withdrawing from West Africa due to costs

  • reform act

    increased the vote to part of urban malw working class, franchise extended to 2.5 million men
  • Disraeli prime minister

  • shift in attitude in 70s

    new intensity about empire emerged frojm strategic rivalry with other powers
  • royal colonial institute

    society which promoted colonial and indian affairs
  • crystal palace speech

    disraeli - nations duty to be imperialist, suggests its in the interest of the people and only the conservatives can deliver this
  • Period: to

    Disraeli prime minister again

  • Disraeli buy 44% shares of Suez canal

  • Queen victoria empress of India

  • Nubian village on display

  • robert lytton invasion of Afghanistan

    Disraeli wanted to extend the Indian raj by making Afghanistan also a client state -> fear of russian advances Robert Lytton (viceroy of india) launched an invasion in 1878 – 10,000 british losses but ultimate victory -> north west frontier
  • the boys own paper

    stories of adventure and bravery, featue from Colonel Baden powell who participated in invasion of Ndeble territory
  • conservative loss

    1880 due to setbacks in invasion of Afghanistan and failures at zulu war
  • midlothian campaign

    gladstone condemned Disraeli for encouraging the British public to display a ‘lust for glory, aggressiveness, and chauvinism'. Campaigning door to door.
  • Arabi Pasha revolt - media

    Daily telegraph sensationally recounted that the rebels had killed 'all the christians they could find' The press made Gladstone's decision to intervene easier. Intervention too late he was named 'murderer of Gordon'
  • parliamentary reform act

    extended vote to 5.5 million men
  • gladstone resigns

  • first irish home rule bill defeated

    Gladstone sympathised with Irish, tried 3 times to pass through parliament but it faile. Split up the liberal party
  • Colonial and Indian exhibition

  • Period: to

    Lord Salisbury as PM

  • literature - She - H.R.Haggard

  • critic - Indian political and general agency

    william digby set up in London for the purpose of raising awareness about Indian grievances in the British Parliament and Press
  • Africa exhibiton

  • Period: to

    Salisbry PM again

  • the daily mail

    alfred harmsworth/lord northcliffe
  • queen victoria diamond jubilee

    celebrated with much pomp and grandeur
    Edward elgar composed the imperial march
  • 'the white man's burden, lord, is the burden of his cash'

    critic of empire Wilfred Blunt - imitation of rudyard kiplings poem
  • Khaki election

  • Empire League

    7000 members in 1900, set up by Howard Handley Spicer,
  • The Victoria League

    womens groups, non-political, promote closer ties
  • critic emily hobhouse report

  • first empire day

    a day of festivities to reinforce the imperial image and celebrate Queen victoria,
  • education act

    under conservatives
    feature of national efficiency
  • Period: to

    liberal social reforms

    free school meals 1906, school medical check ups 1907, old age pensions 1908, unemployment and health insurance 1911
  • boy's scouts

  • round table movement

    Alfred Milner - closer poltiical ties between Britain and its dominons
  • girls guides

  • BBC created - pro empire

    John Reith
  • Wembley exhibition

    gov paid half of the £2.2million cost, the sports stadium remains the permanent legacy of the exhibiton, 'ethnic villages' were displayed, 17 million attended, and another 9mil in 1925. Edward Elgar again
  • Empire marketing board

  • Period: to

    empire films - Sanders of the River, The Four feathers

    used empire as exotic backdrop
  • glasgow empire exhibition

    12 million attended
  • national service - lower class men encounter empire

  • Period: to

    migration to domions - 1 million

  • 25% of britons had a relative in the dominions

    according to survey
  • British Nationality Act

    gave british citenzenship to everyone in empire and commonwealth
  • windrush ship

    802 caribbeans immigrate to Britain, Labour gov't tried to divert the ship calling it an 'incursion'
  • Period: to

    Eagle - boys comic

    ground-breaking boy’s comic Eagle, explicitly informed its writers that foreigners were not to be depicted as either enemies or villains
  • commonwealth economic conference

    remaining economic and political ties
  • commonwealth games

    replaced empire games from 30s
    multi-sport, international competition
  • immigration figures

    carribbean - 115,000
    west africa - 25,000
    India and Pakistan - 55,000
  • Teddy boys - gang culture

  • Black and White minstrels show

    white singers portrayed racially stereotyped African-American characters while wearing ‘blackface’ makeup, was a popular light entertainment show that ran from 1958 until the late 1970s.
  • Morely - The Union - Kensington election

    very anti-immigration, only won 8% of vote but spread white extremism
  • imperial films - north west frontier

    imperial messages - hinted that colonisaiton of india was necessary, example of how imperial themes continued despite decline of popularity.
  • national service ends

  • anti-immigration sentiment

    in a survey taken by the Union movement 90% of people supported legislation to curb immigration
  • commonwealth immigrants act

    controlling non-white immigration to appease the elctorate
    12 months following it only 34k arrived compared to an average of 50k before
  • notting hill carnival

    annual
  • commonwealth secretary general

    to co-ordinate activities
  • race relations act - public discrimination illegal

    did not include in housing or employment and did not make incitment to race hatred illegal