The British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations

By Luana F.
  • 1497

    John Cabbot crossed the Atlantic from England

  • The defeated of the Spanish Armada (Elizabeth I)

  • Caribbean islands were taken and the East India Company was formed to develop trade in Southeast Asia and India.

    The British had been building up their influence in Asia.

  • English settlers founded Virginia (The first of thirteen permanent colonies along the east coast of North America)

  • Rivarly with the Dutch. Massacre of British merchants in the Spice islands.

    Company concentration on India had important trading stations.

  • Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rules the waves! was perfomed

  • Bengal, in the Northeast of India, came under the control of the East India Company.

  • The end of the Seven Years war in Europe

    Britain and France were on opposite sides. Britain won and France had to give Britain most of its land in North America.

  • Independence of American Colonies

    They decided to fight for their independence.

  • Exploration of the Pacific by James Cook led to the huge new colony of Australia

  • The Cape was taken from the Dutch by the British

    Later in the 19th-century missionaries, explorers and merchants like David Livingstone.

  • James Cook explored New Zealand

  • The British government took over officially the company.

  • The British South Africa Company was founded by Cecil Rhodes.

  • Britain ruled over a quarter of the world and had the largest empire in history.