Quiz - Read the Class Notes on Imperialism for Thursday, December 3, 2015.
Biography - Victoria, Queen of England
Victoria was born in 1819, the only child of the British royal family. Victoria became Queen of England when she was 18 years old. Victoria became queen when William IV died 27 days after Victoria's eighteenth birthday. Victoria had grown up protected from the harsh reality of the Industrial Revolution and the effect it was having on people across England. In fact she was horrified by her first sights of Industrial England, which she saw on a trip across the country as a teenager. She described what she saw as, “black, engines flaming, coals, in abundance; everywhere, smoking and burning coal heaps, intermingled with wretched huts and carts and little ragged children." Early in her rule, she was dependent on her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who tried to protect Victoria from the harsh realities of British life and even advised her not to read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens because it dealt with "paupers, criminals and other unpleasant subjects".
In 1839, Victoria met Prince Albert, her cousin from Germany and immediately fell in love with him. They were married the next year and had nine children together. Albert was very interested in the technology of the Industrial Revolution and convinced Victoria to support British industry. He convinced her to take her first trip by train in 1841 and afterwards she said she was “quite charmed” by the experience. Under his direction, Victoria supported the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 which was showcase of industry and art from around the world that demonstrated British power. The Great Exhibition was housed in a greenhouse like building called the Crystal Palace that covered several acres of land. In addition, Albert thought that Victoria should be made aware to the hardships of the Industrial Revolution and should something about child labor and poverty. Albert’s death in 1861 had a deep impact on Victoria and she remained in mourning for the rest of her life.
Under Victoria’s rule, the British Empire expanded to become the largest empire in the world by adding territory in Asia and Africa. By then end of her rule, Britain controlled an empire that contained 20% of the world’s surface and 25% of its population. Victoria strongly supported the British imperialism and believed that British rule was beneficial to people around the world. The British often took colonial lands through war, such as the Opium Wars in China or the war against the Zulu in southern Africa, and used military power to put down rebellions, such as the Sepoy Mutiny in India. was very interested in the well being of her colonial subjects. Victoria supported these wars, writing, "If we are to maintain our position as a first-rate Power, we must… be Prepared for attacks and wars, somewhere or other, CONTINUALLY.”
While Victoria never traveled to her overseas empire, she was interested in her colonies and how the people under her rule lived. She was especially interested in India, which she described as the “Jewel of the Crown”, meaning the most important of her colonies. She even had the British government create the title “Empress of India” to show her connection to the country. She did symbolic gestures to connect her to India, such as having an Indian secretary who taught her Hindi, having Indian food included at royal dinners and wearing Indian jewelry.
Queen Victoria was the longest serving monarch in British history. During her reign Britain went through the Industrial Revolution and built a world-wide empire – it was said that, “the sun never set on the British Empire”. The period that she ruled Britain is remembered as a “golden age” that is called the “Victorian Era".
Source # 1 - Map Of British Empire (1886)
Victoria was born in 1819, the only child of the British royal family. Victoria became Queen of England when she was 18 years old. Victoria became queen when William IV died 27 days after Victoria's eighteenth birthday. Victoria had grown up protected from the harsh reality of the Industrial Revolution and the effect it was having on people across England. In fact she was horrified by her first sights of Industrial England, which she saw on a trip across the country as a teenager. She described what she saw as, “black, engines flaming, coals, in abundance; everywhere, smoking and burning coal heaps, intermingled with wretched huts and carts and little ragged children." Early in her rule, she was dependent on her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who tried to protect Victoria from the harsh realities of British life and even advised her not to read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens because it dealt with "paupers, criminals and other unpleasant subjects".
In 1839, Victoria met Prince Albert, her cousin from Germany and immediately fell in love with him. They were married the next year and had nine children together. Albert was very interested in the technology of the Industrial Revolution and convinced Victoria to support British industry. He convinced her to take her first trip by train in 1841 and afterwards she said she was “quite charmed” by the experience. Under his direction, Victoria supported the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 which was showcase of industry and art from around the world that demonstrated British power. The Great Exhibition was housed in a greenhouse like building called the Crystal Palace that covered several acres of land. In addition, Albert thought that Victoria should be made aware to the hardships of the Industrial Revolution and should something about child labor and poverty. Albert’s death in 1861 had a deep impact on Victoria and she remained in mourning for the rest of her life.
Under Victoria’s rule, the British Empire expanded to become the largest empire in the world by adding territory in Asia and Africa. By then end of her rule, Britain controlled an empire that contained 20% of the world’s surface and 25% of its population. Victoria strongly supported the British imperialism and believed that British rule was beneficial to people around the world. The British often took colonial lands through war, such as the Opium Wars in China or the war against the Zulu in southern Africa, and used military power to put down rebellions, such as the Sepoy Mutiny in India. was very interested in the well being of her colonial subjects. Victoria supported these wars, writing, "If we are to maintain our position as a first-rate Power, we must… be Prepared for attacks and wars, somewhere or other, CONTINUALLY.”
While Victoria never traveled to her overseas empire, she was interested in her colonies and how the people under her rule lived. She was especially interested in India, which she described as the “Jewel of the Crown”, meaning the most important of her colonies. She even had the British government create the title “Empress of India” to show her connection to the country. She did symbolic gestures to connect her to India, such as having an Indian secretary who taught her Hindi, having Indian food included at royal dinners and wearing Indian jewelry.
Queen Victoria was the longest serving monarch in British history. During her reign Britain went through the Industrial Revolution and built a world-wide empire – it was said that, “the sun never set on the British Empire”. The period that she ruled Britain is remembered as a “golden age” that is called the “Victorian Era".
Source # 1 - Map Of British Empire (1886)
Source # 2 - Cartoon of British Empire (1882)
Biography - David Livingstone, Explorer
David Livingstone was born in Scotland (Northern England) in 1813 to a poor but religious family. As a child he worked in a textile factory. He put himself through medical school and planned to work as a Christian missionary in China. However, because of the Opium Wars in China, Livingstone decided to work as a missionary in Africa instead. In 1851, Livingstone arrived in South Africa.
As a missionary, Livingstone's traveled from village to village going into parts of southern Africa that had never been explored by other Europeans, such as the Kalahari Desert. Livingstone wrote back to England describing in full detail the areas he explored and was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Geographic Society. Livingstone became aware of the slave trade in Africa and he made it his life’s work to end the slave trade or the “open sore of the world” as he called it. Livingstone believed that his explorations would open up Africa to trade with the rest of the world and improve the lives of Africans. Livingstone thought that this would end slavery because Africans would have better ways to make money than by trading slaves. His rally against the practice of slavery made him a staunch enemy of many of the Europeans living in Africa.
Livingstone explored deep into central Africa following the Zambezi Rivers all the way to Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfall in the world. When Livingstone returned to England in 1856, he was praised as a national hero and he toured Europe giving lectures about his explorations. However, some of his later expeditions went badly. His trip back up the Zambezi River in 1858 was troubled by diseases that killed several members of the expedition, including his wife Mary. His expedition for find the source of the Nile River also ran into trouble when his crew deserted him and spread the rumor that Livingston had been killed by the Ngoni tribes.
However, Livingstone was still alive and continued to explore central Africa. By this point in his life all of his travels across Africa had weakened his health – he had been mauled by a lion and suffered from both malaria and cholera. By 1871, he was nearly bed ridden and low on both medical and food supplies and living near Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. The world was interested in discovering the fate of Livingstone, and an American newspaper hired Henry Stanley, and explorer and journalist, to find Livingstone. Working his way across Africa, Stanley finally final found Livingstone at his camp near Lake Tanganyika, greeting him with the famous line: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Stanley tried to convince the ailing Livingstone to return with him to England, but Livingstone vehemently refused, and Stanley was force to leave him behind.
Livingstone recovered with supplies left by Stanley and resumed his search for the source of the Nile. In 1873, Livingstone died in Africa having not been able to find the source of the Nile. His African crew removed Livingstone's heart (to be buried in Africa), and then carried his body by hand over 1000 miles back to the coast where his body was shipped to England for burial in England.
David Livingstone was born in Scotland (Northern England) in 1813 to a poor but religious family. As a child he worked in a textile factory. He put himself through medical school and planned to work as a Christian missionary in China. However, because of the Opium Wars in China, Livingstone decided to work as a missionary in Africa instead. In 1851, Livingstone arrived in South Africa.
As a missionary, Livingstone's traveled from village to village going into parts of southern Africa that had never been explored by other Europeans, such as the Kalahari Desert. Livingstone wrote back to England describing in full detail the areas he explored and was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Geographic Society. Livingstone became aware of the slave trade in Africa and he made it his life’s work to end the slave trade or the “open sore of the world” as he called it. Livingstone believed that his explorations would open up Africa to trade with the rest of the world and improve the lives of Africans. Livingstone thought that this would end slavery because Africans would have better ways to make money than by trading slaves. His rally against the practice of slavery made him a staunch enemy of many of the Europeans living in Africa.
Livingstone explored deep into central Africa following the Zambezi Rivers all the way to Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfall in the world. When Livingstone returned to England in 1856, he was praised as a national hero and he toured Europe giving lectures about his explorations. However, some of his later expeditions went badly. His trip back up the Zambezi River in 1858 was troubled by diseases that killed several members of the expedition, including his wife Mary. His expedition for find the source of the Nile River also ran into trouble when his crew deserted him and spread the rumor that Livingston had been killed by the Ngoni tribes.
However, Livingstone was still alive and continued to explore central Africa. By this point in his life all of his travels across Africa had weakened his health – he had been mauled by a lion and suffered from both malaria and cholera. By 1871, he was nearly bed ridden and low on both medical and food supplies and living near Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. The world was interested in discovering the fate of Livingstone, and an American newspaper hired Henry Stanley, and explorer and journalist, to find Livingstone. Working his way across Africa, Stanley finally final found Livingstone at his camp near Lake Tanganyika, greeting him with the famous line: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Stanley tried to convince the ailing Livingstone to return with him to England, but Livingstone vehemently refused, and Stanley was force to leave him behind.
Livingstone recovered with supplies left by Stanley and resumed his search for the source of the Nile. In 1873, Livingstone died in Africa having not been able to find the source of the Nile. His African crew removed Livingstone's heart (to be buried in Africa), and then carried his body by hand over 1000 miles back to the coast where his body was shipped to England for burial in England.
Source # 3 - Video of Livingstone's Exploration in Africa
Biography - Charles Gordon, Soldier
Charles Gordon was born in 1833 at a army family in a military in England. His father was a Major General and Gordon studied military engineering at the Royal Military Academy. When he graduated, he was made a lieutenant in the British army and was send to fight against Russia in the Crimean War in 1854. After the war ended, Gordon worked as part of an international commission marking the new border for Russia.
After he was promoted to captain in 1859, he volunteered fight China in the Second Opium War. After the British won the war and gained more land in China, he remained in China as part of the British army. When the Taiping Rebellion broke out in China, Gordon led the British forces to support the Chinese government in defending the city of Shanghi from the rebel forces. Then in 1862, the Chinese government put Gordon in command of the Chinese army, called the “Ever Victorious Army” fight against the rebellion. Because of his success in doing this, the Emperor gave Gordon the title “titu” or “commander”. In 1863, Gordon returned to England and was knighted by Queen Victoria.
After serving in various posts in the British Army in England, in 1872, Gordon was offered the chance to serve in the Egyptian army. As an officer in the Egyptian army, worked to suppress the slave trade in East Africa and was eventually made Governor-General of the territory of Sudan, which is south of Egypt. He resigned this position in 1879 and then spent several years serving in military posts in India, Africa and South Africa and toured the Middle East.
In 1883, Gordon was preparing to work in the Congo Free State, when the British government ordered him to return to Sudan to put down a rebellion lead by Mohammed Ahmed. Ahmed claimed to be the Mahdi (the savior of Islam) and his soldiers were quickly taking over Sudan. Gordon was given the task of saving the Egyptian army which was on the verge of being overrun by the Mahdi’s army. Mohammed Ahmed's troops were overwhelming the thinly-stretched Egyptian forces in the region. With the situation deteriorating, London instructed the Egyptians to withdraw from Sudan in December 1883. Realizing that his forces were too small to defeat the Madhi army, Gordon ignored orders to retreat and instead fortified the city of Khartoum in Sudan and asked the British for reinforcements. In 1884, the Madhi army began its attack on Khartoum. After a year’s delay in which the British government debated about sending an army to aid Gordon (Victoria pressured the government to save Gordon), the British army began to advance into Sudan with the goal of rescuing the Gordon’s forces. As the British army got close to Khartoum, the Madhi army launched a massive assault on the city and over whelmed Gordon’s starving soldiers. Gordon was killed in the fighting and his body was never found. The British army reached the city two days after it fell to the Madhi army. At this point, the British army retreated to Egypt. In 1898, the British invaded Sudan again and, with the help of Maxim guns, it destroyed the Madhi army in the Battle of Omdurman.
Biography - Cecil Rhodes, Miner & Colonial Leader
Cecil Rhodes was born in England in 1853 in England to a religious family. As a teenager he became sick with a lung illness and left school to live with his brother in South Africa, where his family thought the environment would be better for his condition. He arrived in the British colony South Africa in 1870 with a large amount of money lent to him by a relative. Rhodes invested the money in land that he could use to mine diamonds and, working with a group of business partners, he established a mining company.
In 1872 Rhodes suffered a slight heart attack. As part of his program to recover from this, Rhodes and his brother went on an expedition into the lands north of the British colony in South Africa that were controlled by native African tribes, like the Zulu and the Matabele. Rhodes took advantage of this trip to study the opportunities in mining gold in these regions It was during this journey, Rhodes fell in love with the countryside of southern Africa and began to think of how to get control of these lands.
In 1873 Rhodes left South Africa and returned to England to attend Oxford University. While he did not study long enough to earn a degree, he experience there helped form his idea that the British were superior to other people and that the British Empire was beneficial to the world. After his death, Rhode’s fortune was used to establish the Rhodes Scholarship to pay for people around the world to attend Oxford.
Biography - Charles Gordon, Soldier
Charles Gordon was born in 1833 at a army family in a military in England. His father was a Major General and Gordon studied military engineering at the Royal Military Academy. When he graduated, he was made a lieutenant in the British army and was send to fight against Russia in the Crimean War in 1854. After the war ended, Gordon worked as part of an international commission marking the new border for Russia.
After he was promoted to captain in 1859, he volunteered fight China in the Second Opium War. After the British won the war and gained more land in China, he remained in China as part of the British army. When the Taiping Rebellion broke out in China, Gordon led the British forces to support the Chinese government in defending the city of Shanghi from the rebel forces. Then in 1862, the Chinese government put Gordon in command of the Chinese army, called the “Ever Victorious Army” fight against the rebellion. Because of his success in doing this, the Emperor gave Gordon the title “titu” or “commander”. In 1863, Gordon returned to England and was knighted by Queen Victoria.
After serving in various posts in the British Army in England, in 1872, Gordon was offered the chance to serve in the Egyptian army. As an officer in the Egyptian army, worked to suppress the slave trade in East Africa and was eventually made Governor-General of the territory of Sudan, which is south of Egypt. He resigned this position in 1879 and then spent several years serving in military posts in India, Africa and South Africa and toured the Middle East.
In 1883, Gordon was preparing to work in the Congo Free State, when the British government ordered him to return to Sudan to put down a rebellion lead by Mohammed Ahmed. Ahmed claimed to be the Mahdi (the savior of Islam) and his soldiers were quickly taking over Sudan. Gordon was given the task of saving the Egyptian army which was on the verge of being overrun by the Mahdi’s army. Mohammed Ahmed's troops were overwhelming the thinly-stretched Egyptian forces in the region. With the situation deteriorating, London instructed the Egyptians to withdraw from Sudan in December 1883. Realizing that his forces were too small to defeat the Madhi army, Gordon ignored orders to retreat and instead fortified the city of Khartoum in Sudan and asked the British for reinforcements. In 1884, the Madhi army began its attack on Khartoum. After a year’s delay in which the British government debated about sending an army to aid Gordon (Victoria pressured the government to save Gordon), the British army began to advance into Sudan with the goal of rescuing the Gordon’s forces. As the British army got close to Khartoum, the Madhi army launched a massive assault on the city and over whelmed Gordon’s starving soldiers. Gordon was killed in the fighting and his body was never found. The British army reached the city two days after it fell to the Madhi army. At this point, the British army retreated to Egypt. In 1898, the British invaded Sudan again and, with the help of Maxim guns, it destroyed the Madhi army in the Battle of Omdurman.
Biography - Cecil Rhodes, Miner & Colonial Leader
Cecil Rhodes was born in England in 1853 in England to a religious family. As a teenager he became sick with a lung illness and left school to live with his brother in South Africa, where his family thought the environment would be better for his condition. He arrived in the British colony South Africa in 1870 with a large amount of money lent to him by a relative. Rhodes invested the money in land that he could use to mine diamonds and, working with a group of business partners, he established a mining company.
In 1872 Rhodes suffered a slight heart attack. As part of his program to recover from this, Rhodes and his brother went on an expedition into the lands north of the British colony in South Africa that were controlled by native African tribes, like the Zulu and the Matabele. Rhodes took advantage of this trip to study the opportunities in mining gold in these regions It was during this journey, Rhodes fell in love with the countryside of southern Africa and began to think of how to get control of these lands.
In 1873 Rhodes left South Africa and returned to England to attend Oxford University. While he did not study long enough to earn a degree, he experience there helped form his idea that the British were superior to other people and that the British Empire was beneficial to the world. After his death, Rhode’s fortune was used to establish the Rhodes Scholarship to pay for people around the world to attend Oxford.
When Rhodes returned to South Africa, the diamond mining industry was doing badly because of technical problems due to diamonds being in harder ground that often flooded. When other miners gave up on the mining, Rhodes bought their land and worked on solving the problems in getting to the diamonds. This persistence paid off and diamond mining made Rhodes very wealthy. In 1880, Rhodes and his business partners put their land holdings together to form the De Beers Mining Company.
Also in 1880, Rhodes became a leader in the British Colony in South Africa by becoming part of the colony’s parliament. In 1890, Rhodes became Prime Minister, or leader of the Parliament. Rhodes used this power to pass laws that would benefit miners such as supporting the northern expansion of the colony to take the lands of the African tribes and use them for mining. In 1893, Rhodes used a conflict over cattle between the Matabele and Mashona tribes as an excuse to attack the Matabele and take its land. Rhodes had already negotiated a treaty with Lobengula, the chief of the Matabele, to having mining rights to the land. Now, with the support of Queen Victoria, Rhodes broke that treaty and sent a small army equipped with Maxim machine guns to take the Matabele land. Rhodes’ army quickly defeated the much larger Matabele army and the lands of the Matabele were divided among the soldiers in Rhode’s army and became part of the British Empire.
Rhodes also supported wars against the Boers, white Dutch settlers who had set up their own country north of the British colony of South Africa. The reason was to gain control of the Boer lands, which had large diamond and gold deposits. Rhodes died before the British won their wars against the Boer and took the Boer lands. Rhodes also died unable to realize his dream of extending the British Empire all the way, from north to south, across Africa.
Also in 1880, Rhodes became a leader in the British Colony in South Africa by becoming part of the colony’s parliament. In 1890, Rhodes became Prime Minister, or leader of the Parliament. Rhodes used this power to pass laws that would benefit miners such as supporting the northern expansion of the colony to take the lands of the African tribes and use them for mining. In 1893, Rhodes used a conflict over cattle between the Matabele and Mashona tribes as an excuse to attack the Matabele and take its land. Rhodes had already negotiated a treaty with Lobengula, the chief of the Matabele, to having mining rights to the land. Now, with the support of Queen Victoria, Rhodes broke that treaty and sent a small army equipped with Maxim machine guns to take the Matabele land. Rhodes’ army quickly defeated the much larger Matabele army and the lands of the Matabele were divided among the soldiers in Rhode’s army and became part of the British Empire.
Rhodes also supported wars against the Boers, white Dutch settlers who had set up their own country north of the British colony of South Africa. The reason was to gain control of the Boer lands, which had large diamond and gold deposits. Rhodes died before the British won their wars against the Boer and took the Boer lands. Rhodes also died unable to realize his dream of extending the British Empire all the way, from north to south, across Africa.
Source # 5 - British cartoon, published in 1892, showing Rhodes standing over Africa holding a telegraph cable.
Source # 6 - Cartoon - German Cartoon How to be a Colonial Power (1904) showing how the British ran their empire.
