5. Attitudes towards imperialism in Britain

Question 1

Disraeli

Answer 1

Imperialist
- Annexed Transvaal 1877
- Appointed Robert Lytton Viceroy and his display in Dehli 1877 - Launched an invasion into Afghanistan in 1878
- Bought £4 million share in Suez Canal
Conservative Prime Minister
- 1868 and 1874-1880
- Won the 1874 election
- Played the Imperialist Card
- Conservatives ‘Party of the Empire’
- Crystal Palace Speech 1872
- Empress of India Title 1876

Question 2

Gladstone

Answer 2

Became leader of liberal party in 1868
Served as Prime Minister 1880
Mahdist Rebellion in Sudan in 1884, Gladstone urged withdrawal of Anglo-Egyptian troops - Sudanese are ‘struggling to be free’
Egypt 1882 - installed Khedive Twefiq
First Boer War 1880-81 British Forces defeated at Mujuba Hill February 1881
Clash with Disreali
Wanted to improve existing colonies and avoid further acquisitions
Accused Disraeli of Jingoism
Help Colonies towards self governance
Resigned as Prime Minister in June 1885
Oversaw the 1884 Parliamentary Act that extended the vote to 5.5 million men
Helped the conservatives as the public liked Imperialism
Returned in 1886 with the Home Bill for Ireland

Question 3

How did education reforms affect attitudes towards imperialism?

Answer 3

Education act of 1870
Increased literacy rates
This and the 1867 and 1884 Reform Acts made the public more politically aware

Question 4

Imperialist literature

Answer 4

Haggard - ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ 1885 + ‘She’ 1887
‘Boys Brigade’ 1883 offered military training and talked about ‘glorious Empire’
‘Boy’s own paper’ 1879 - portrayed soldiers bravery around the globe

Question 5

The press and the Indian Mutiny

Answer 5

1857 - show their influence with the Indian Mutiny
Public horrified by massacres and tortures around Cawnpore
Thrilled by soldiers and Major-General Henry Havelock - recaptured Cawnpore in July 1857
After his death in Nov 1857, public paid for his statue in Trafalgar Square

Question 6

Competition and its effect on attitudes towards imperialism

Answer 6

European and American protectionism tariffs meant that Britain had to look further abroad for its markets

Question 7

Superiority

Answer 7

Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ 1859
‘Darwinism’
Spread of the thinking of superior races

Question 8

Imperial Exhibitions

Answer 8

1862 Internation Exhibition in South Kensington, featured over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries - 7000 exhibits from India
1886 Exhibition - Built in India style and ‘living exhibits’ brought Indians to Britain
1890 Exhibition - Celebrated explorers and colonisation, showing maps and photographs of British Expansion in Africa.

Question 9

The press and Self-governing colonies

Answer 9

The Times rejected this and in an editorial in February 1962 asserted that the white colonies were uniformly prosperous and they desired to remain a part of the empire – delayed self governance – Canada self governed dominion in 1867
Many colonists agreed
The working class journal ‘The Bee Hive’ collected 100,000 signatures for a petition which asked the Queen to state-funded emigration schemes for the unemployed

Question 10

The Press and the invasion of Egypt?

Answer 10

1882 Arabi Pasha’s nationalist revolt occupied reporters
Pall Mall Gazette wrote of ‘the Moslem mob’
The Daily Telegraph recounted that the rebels had killed ‘all the Christians they could find’
By incensing the public the press garnered support for Gladstone. It made it easier for him to intervene in Egypt