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Period: to
British Empire's history.
The British Empire was the land and territory ruled over by Britain from around 1600 to the 1930's. At its height, after World War I, the empire covered over 25 per cent of the world's population and area. It lasted three-and-a-half centuries - almost as long as the Roman Empire. -
EXPANSION
North America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Australia were affected by the Britain's expansion as a world power during the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. -
THE BEGGINING
A settlement in Jamestown, Virginia in this year can be viewed as the beggining of the continental British Empire, Canada became part of the Empire after British Forces were victorious in the Seven Years' War with France between 1756-63. -
Hanoverian George
After Queen Anne's death Hanoverian George arrived in London. -
James II's son
There was little English support for the half hearted Jacobite rising of 1715 on behalf of James II's son, the Old pretender; people were more interested in gambling in trade with the tropics. -
Sir Robert Walpole
Sir Robert Walpole came into power in this year to clean up the mess of trade in topics. -
War with Spain
Walpole was forced against his will into a maritime war with Spain, which soon involved a continental war in defence of Austria against France and most of the continental powers. -
Charles Edward
In this year, encouraged by the promise of French help, the Young Pretender, Charles Edward, landed with seven followers on the west coast of Scotland. -
Peace...?
The war, which ended this year, was followed by a few uneasy years of peace. -
ENGLAND AND PRUSSIA AGAINST FRANCE AND AUSTRIA
By this year, there was a fighting in the Hudson, and in 1756 the struggle became another great European conflict, the Seven Years' Wat of England and Prussia agains France and Austria. -
Victory!
In this year came the Year of Victories: the naval victories of Lagos and Quiberon Bay, of Minden in Hanover and, to crown all, Wolfe's capture of the central French citadel of Quebec. -
George II was succeeded.
In this year, George II was succeeded by his grandson Geroge III, a young man who 'gloried in the name of Briton' and saw himself as the hero of Bolinbroke's Patriot king: a king who really ruled and chose whom he liked as his ministers. -
France giving...
By the Peace of Paris in this year, France ceded all Canada to Britain and all her territory west of the thirteen colonies, while in India the French were reduced to two small trading stations. -
Boston Tea Party!
In this year, the colonists threw the East India Company's tea into the harbour. -
FIRST SETBACK
The first setback for the seemingly invincible Empire was its defeat by American forces during the American Revolution in this year. -
Independence.
In this year, Congress issued a Declaration of Independence, a few months after GIbbon had published the first volume of his ''Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire''. -
Catholics VS Protestants
Protestants and Catholics in Ireland combined under Henry Grattan to force the goverment to free their Parliament and trade from British control, and for four days at the beginning of 1780 London was in hands of an anti Catholic mob led by the crazy Lord George Gordon. -
Over.
The war was virtually over, and when peace was made in 1782 Britain ceded all her territory south of Canada to the thirteen colonies, which set about transforming themselves into the United States of America with Washington as their president. -
SLAVE TRADE
Britain was concerned about opening up new trade routes rather tahn being driven by the religious zeal that marked the imperial concerns of other countries. At first, Britain's Empire found its wealth from the slave trade but later this was made illegal. -
Kenya
Britain took control of Kenya in this year. -
Uganda
Britain took control of Uganda in this year.
