1.4 - Attitudes to Empire and Role of Individuals Flashcards
Who was David Livingstone?
A Scottish explorer and missionary doctor known for his travels in Africa.
What was the primary goal of David Livingstone’s explorations?
To open a path for commerce and Christianity.
Between which years did David Livingstone travel extensively in Africa?
1841-1856.
What significant geographical features did David Livingstone discover?
- Lake Ngami (1849)
- Zambezi Falls (later Victoria Falls, 1855)
What was the title of David Livingstone’s bestselling book?
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.
How many copies did Livingstone’s book sell in seven months?
28,000 copies.
What was David Livingstone’s stance on the slave trade?
He was determined to end the slave trade in Central and East Africa.
Who was sent to find David Livingstone after he lost contact with Europe?
Henry Morton Stanley.
What were the causes of David Livingstone’s death?
Malaria and dysentery.
Who was John Kirk?
A Scottish physician and chief medical officer for Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition.
What was John Kirk’s role in Zanzibar?
He was a medical officer, vice-consul, and negotiated control from the sultan to the Imperial British East African Company.
What commercial interests did Zanzibar have for Britain?
- Clove exports
- Ivory exports
Who was Sir Richard Burton?
A linguistic scholar, explorer, soldier, diplomat, and adventurer.
What was significant about Sir Richard Burton’s linguistic abilities?
He spoke 29 languages.
What controversial topics did Burton write about?
- Birth
- Marriage
- Death
- Fetishism
- Cannibalism
- Sexual education of women
Which important African lakes did Burton explore?
Lake Tanganyika.
What was the nature of Burton’s motivation for exploration?
His spirit of adventure.
Fill in the blank: David Livingstone wrote approximately _____ letters about his exploration of the Zambezi river.
2000.
True or False: John Kirk was committed to maintaining the slave trade in Africa.
False.
What was one of the first steam railways in East Africa located?
Zanzibar.
Who was John Speke?
An explorer who joined Burton on the quest to find the source of the Nile.
What significant geographical feature did John Speke discover?
Lake Victoria, which he argued was the source of the Nile.
What was the outcome of the debate between John Speke and Burton?
Speke died in a shooting accident before a public debate with Burton.
What areas did John Speke explore?
Somaliland, East African Coast, Lake Tanganyika, Southern Sudan, Lake Albert, Lake Victoria.
What was published in 1863 and 1864?
Accounts of John Speke’s explorations.
Who was Sir Harry Johnstone?
A linguist, painter, botanist, explorer, and colonial administrator.
What areas did Sir Harry Johnstone explore?
East Africa, Tunisia, Congo, Angola, Mount Kilimanjaro.
What role did Sir Harry Johnstone play in British imperialism?
He made treaties with local chiefs, bringing large amounts of land under British control.
What phrase did Sir Harry Johnstone coin?
‘Cape to Cairo’.
What was Henry Morton Stanley’s profession before becoming an explorer?
He was a journalist for the New York Herald.
For whom did Henry Morton Stanley work as an agent?
Leopold II of Belgium.
What was the purpose of Stanley’s expedition from 1869-71?
To find Livingstone.
What book did Stanley publish after finding Livingstone?
How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa.
What role did missionaries play in the empire?
They sought to spread Christianity and convert populations.
What were Missionary Societies?
Organizations that aimed for world-wide conversion and shared a common conviction.
Which groups were involved in Missionary Societies?
Anglicans, Roman Catholics, non-conformist groups like Methodists.
What did Missionary Societies produce to gain support?
Pamphlets to relay stories and gain financial backers.
Why did people become missionaries?
Out of moral compulsion and deep religious conviction.
Fill in the blank: Missionaries hoped to create Christian bases that would become _______.
[self-financing, self-governing, and expansionist].
True or False: Many missionaries returned home safely after their missions.
False.
What role did missionary societies play in British imperialism?
They helped open territories by:
* Penetrating beyond colonial frontiers
* Establishing links with indigenous communities
* Seeking imperial protection
* Acting as local trading agents
* Sharing geographical and strategic knowledge
Missionaries often acted as intermediaries between indigenous populations and colonial authorities.
What significant event did Methodist missionaries from Australia contribute to in 1874?
The establishment of British rule in Fiji
Their missionary efforts were instrumental in facilitating British colonial governance.
Who was John Mackenzie and what was his influence?
He pressured the British government to establish a protectorate over Bechuanaland and became its Deputy Commissioner
His advocacy played a crucial role in expanding British interests in Africa.
How did missionaries perceive Africa compared to India?
Africa was seen as ‘virgin territory’ with primitive beliefs, while India had a sophisticated civilization with entrenched beliefs.
This perception influenced their missionary strategies and focus.
What social reforms were introduced by women missionaries in India?
- Educating women
- Preventing girls from being used as temple prostitutes
- Banning the practice of Sati (widow burning)
Notable figures include Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichael, and Mary Carpenter.
What were missionary groups known to establish for safety?
Compounds and farms
These served as bases for their operations and provided a degree of security.
What were missionaries known to offer to local populations?
- Material gain
- Education
- Christianity
These offerings often aimed at converting locals to Christianity.
What was the fate of Revd. Carl Volkner in New Zealand?
He was killed by the Opotiki Maoris for discouraging bloodshed during a tribal war.
His death highlighted the dangers faced by missionaries in hostile environments.
What was the impact of missionaries in Nigeria between 1886-1895?
There were more Anglicans in Nigeria than in England
This period marked a significant increase in Christian conversion in the region.
What was the number of missionaries in the field by the end of the 19th century?
Approximately 12,000 missionaries
This reflects the extensive missionary activity during that period.
What was Lord Salisbury’s view on missionaries?
He denounced them as vulgar radicals
Salisbury believed their actions conflicted with the imperial goal of increasing Britain’s wealth and power.
Who was Cecil Rhodes and what was his contribution to British imperialism?
He was a colonial administrator who:
* Annexed territory around the Zambesi river
* Founded the British South Africa Company
* Amassed wealth from diamond mining
Rhodes played a pivotal role in expanding British influence in southern Africa.
What company did Cecil Rhodes create in 1888?
De Beers Consolidated Mines Company
This company became synonymous with diamond mining.
What was William Mackinnon’s role in East Africa?
He founded the Imperial British East Africa Company and helped establish British control in the region.
His efforts were instrumental in opening up new markets for British trade.
What did George Goldie accomplish in the Niger Basin?
He united trading firms to create the Royal Niger Company and secured a protectorate over the Niger River region.
His actions were crucial in establishing British colonial influence in Nigeria.
Fill in the blank: Cecil Rhodes annexed territory around the _______ river.
Zambesi
This annexation was part of his broader imperial ambitions.
What was the role of ‘men on the spot’ in the British Empire?
They were crucial in extending British interests and often had considerable discretion to interpret instructions.
‘Men on the spot’ included directors, governors, high commissioners, and consuls.
Who were some notable individuals that started as explorers, missionaries, or traders?
William Mackinnon, Cecil Rhodes, George Goldie, John Kirk.
These figures played significant roles in the expansion of British imperial interests.
What was Sir Evelyn Baring’s title after becoming Earl of Cromer?
Earl of Cromer in 1901.
He was a significant colonial administrator in Egypt.
What characterized Sir Evelyn Baring’s administrative style?
High efficiency, arrogant, patronising, hard-working, fair, inflexible, and a sense of British superiority.
He was seen as a typical Victorian colonial administrator.
What was the Dufferin Report of 1883?
It established an Egypt ‘puppet’ parliament with no power and asserted the need for British supervision of reforms.
This report was pivotal in establishing British control over Egypt.
What was Sir Bartle Frere’s role after the Indian Mutiny in 1857?
He received a knighthood and joined the Viceroy’s council at Calcutta.
His support during the mutiny was key to his advancement.
What position did Sir Bartle Frere hold in South Africa?
High Commissioner and Governor of the Cape Colony from 1877.
He was involved in the planned confederation of British South Africa.
What action did Frere take regarding the Zulus?
He deliberately provoked a war with the Zulus in December 1878.
He viewed them as an obstacle to federation.
What was the outcome of the Zulu War for the British forces?
The British forces suffered a shocking defeat at Isandlwana in January 1879.
This defeat was significant in the context of British military history.
What was the consequence of the high cost of the Zulu War for Frere?
He was officially reprimanded and withdrawn from South Africa by Gladstone’s liberal government in 1880.
His actions were deemed reckless.
Fill in the blank: Sir Evelyn Baring was sent to Egypt in ______ to help Isma’il Pasha.
1877
His initial advice was ignored during this mission.
