Attitudes Towards Imperialism In Britain (1857-90) Flashcards
What did Britain associate ‘imperialsm’ with up to the 1840s?
Napoleonic France, despite colonisation with Cape colony and trade links with India
We’re conservatives or liberals more supportive of empire?
Conservatives - Benjamin Disraeli
What did Gladstone promise to show he was less supportive empire?
That eh would ‘abstain from any territorial acquisitions’
How were the British government less supportive of Empie at the start of C.19and how was it clear?
Resisted calls to claim new territory such as withholding charters from non-viable colonising
companies (hesitant to expand)
1865: Parliamentary Select Committee recommended withdrawal from Britain’s West African settlements on the grounds of cost (not too focused on Empire as of yet)
When was the turning point for attitudes shifting towards imperialism and why?
1870s
. Strategic rivalry grew as other European nations grew industrially stronger, becoming greater economic competition
. European and American protective tariffs made it harder to flood Western Hemisphere with British goods, had to expand empire now
How did Disraeli coin the conservatives in 1870s?
As the ‘party of the empire’, claiming that the Liberal party would allow the empire to crumble even though both parties somewhat ‘accepted’ the empire in some way
When did Disraeli present his views on the empire?
1872 Crystal Palace Speech
How did voting rights change in 1867?
Reform Act extended a larger electorate, extending votes to a part of the urban male working class
Vote was previously based on property and income
How did Conservatives hope to win 1874 election?
By playing the ‘imperial card’ - they hadn’t won since 1841
Lord Salisbury also played this card when he became PM
Both Disraeli and Salisbury were skeptical about any proper reconstruction of the empire
How was the political rivalry in 1870s over exaggerated by Disraeli?
Gladstone never fully tried to dissociate from the empire
What were Gladstone’s beliefs on empire?
. Avoid new acquisitions and develop existing colonies, leading to self-government
. Supported ‘empire’ but opposed ‘imperialsm’
. Accused Disraeli of stirring up ‘jingoism’
How did Disraeli first really show his imperial stance?
By buying shares in the Suez Canal in 1875
What act did Disraeli steer through the House of Commons and what was the significance of this?
The Royal Titles Act, embedded British rule into India and gave Queen Victoria the ‘Empress of India’ title in 1877 - showing imperial presence of Britian
Who did Disraeli appoint as Viceroy of India and how did he show off Britian?
Robert Lytton. Disraeli backed his ‘coronation Durbar’ in 1877 in Delhi
How did Lytton and Disraeli try to expand the British Raj?
By turning Afghanistan into a client state
What were the problems with turning Afghanistan into a client state?
. There was and incursion of Afghan tribes into India
. Russian aspirations here
When was the invasion of Afghanistan and how did it go?
November 1878
-British-Indian troops lost 10,000 (twice as many as Afghan side)
-eventually there was control over Afghanistan and the north-west frontier (strategically important)
When did north-west frontier become a province?
1901
How did war on Zulu nation and Pedi people come about and why?
After the annexation of the Transvaal in 1877 by Disraeli’s government, in the hopes of a British confederation in South Africa
How did the War agains the Zulus go?
January 1879: British humiliation at Islandlwana (initial Zulu invasion)
August 1879: victory at Ulundi
When did Liberals come back into government and why?
April 1880 general election because of setbacks in Afghanistan and Zulu campaigns, Conservatives failed to show much military strength
What was in Lytton’s Durbar and what did it suggest?
Various ranks, titles and crests were given to Indian nobility from the new College of Arms established by the British in Calcutta
- this mirrored medieval practice of ennobling those who served the crown
. Suggested that Britain were destined to rule India and had a legitimate right to rule there
What parts of Disraeli’s government was Gladstone critical of?
His foreign and imperial polici3s
How did Gladstone have to pick up the pieces of Disraeli’s mistakes?
Transvaal Boers mobilised against British control and declared independence in 1880, leading to the First Boer War
- Gladstone refused to commit further time, money or troops after a defeat at Majuba Hill in Feb 1881, despite Disraeli’s ambitions of British hegemony over South Africa
How did the 1884 Madhist Rebellion reflect Gladstone’s beliefs?
. Urged withdrawal of Anglo-Egyptian troops
. Said Sudanese are ‘rightly struggling to be free’
Why did Gladstone get involved in Madhist rebellion desire his principles?
. Sudan was a safe passage to India
. Public pressure came about after 1881 Arabi Pasha uprising threatened the security of the Suez Canal and British investments in Egypt
How did the Berlin conference further stretch against Gladstone’s policies?
It encouraged formal land-grabbing:
. Converted Somaliland and Bechuanaland to British protectorates
British Bechuanaland left local Tswana rulers in power, reflecting Gladstone’s belief in not intervening much in the empire
How did Gladstone further show his resistance to expanding empire, with Germany?
In 1884, Germany claimed New Guinea and renamed it Kaiser Wilhelmsland, Gladstone resisted intervention
What did British do in New Guinea after Germany claimed it instead of fully intervening?
. Thomas MacIluraith ordered the occupation of its south-eastern zone to establish Brit control there
- Australia financed the development of British New Guinea
What did the 1884 Parliamentary reform act do?
Extended vote to 5.5 million men, promoting imperialism to get support for conservatives worked against for Lord Salisbury
When did Gladstone resign as PM?
June 1885
When did Gladstone return as PM and how did he confirm his reluctant imperialist status?
- Introduced Home Rule Bill for Ireland
What evidence is there for Gladstone’s support for self-government?
He felt sympathy for Irish nationalists who wanted Irish Independence away from GB
When was public imagination at its greatest ever in C.19 and why?
1860s-1870s, due to reporting in the growing popular press which showed ‘exotic stories’ and stories of ‘heroism’
How did Acts of C.19 make British public more politically aware?
Education Act of 1870 increase national literacy rate
Extension of vote in 1867 and 1884 Reform Act meant public were more involved in politics
Disraeli used this excitement for empire for his political gains
What was the 1801 Act of Union?
Incorporated Ireland into the UK finally after years of British occupation in Ireland since C.16
What was the state of Britain in Ireland before the Act of Union in 1801?
. Irish voters could select MP’S but Westminster parliament governed Ireland
When did the idea of ‘Irish Home Rule’ erupt and what is it and who promoted it?
1860s: promoted Irish legislature to decide own domestic affairs but Ireland would still be in UK
- Gladstone’s Liberal government promoted it as it would put Ireland in line with other dominions
What problems did Gladstone’s government fail to achieve with Irish Home Rule?
His government failed to pass the 1886 Irish government bill through parliament and failed again in 1893
What is the importance of the Irish Home Rule splitting the Liberal party?
Even as ‘reluctant imperialists’ like the liberals, the empire still had a massive effect on British politics
What are examples of the power of press to influence public attitudes to the empire?
. British were horrified by the massacres during the Indian rebellion such as at Cawnpore
. Public thrilled by stories of brave soldiers such as Henry Havelock who recaptured Cawnpore and Lucknow in July and Sept 1857
. Press often missed information such as the atrocities of British troops such as at the massacre at Jahnsi (April 1858)
. Often told tales I’m very florid tones, such as Arabi Pasha’s revolt in Egypt (1882)
How did the power of press promote Henry Havelock?
Portrayed him as a national hero, leading to the public paying for a statue of him in Trafalgar Square on his death
What was the importance of the florid tone of the press during Arabi Pasha’s revolt for Gladstone’s government?
Meant he was well-supported when intervening with the revolt
What was the turning point on how British viewed Indians?
Cawnpore (now Kanpur) massacre
What happened at Cawnpore and what was the significance of it?
July 1857: 200 captive British women and children were murdered in rebel-held town of Cawnpore
- press presented it as Indians ‘savage’ nature
- British media promoted a violent response
- emphasis put on the INNOCENT British lives lost (were they really innocent after the rebellion?)
What did different newspapers say about Arabi Pasha’s revolt in Egypt in 1882 and what was the significance of this?
Daily Telegraph: rebels had killed ‘all the Christians they could find’ in Alexandria
Evening news: claimed ‘further massacres iminent’
This reporting forced the British public to view the rebels as wicked, making Gladstone’s decision to intervene easier
How did the British public view Gladstone’s intervention in the Mahdist Rebellion?
As too late - went from a ‘grand old man’ to the ‘murderer of Gordon’ (General Gordon murdered during the rebellion)
What did the imperialist literature book ‘She’ (1887) present about racial attitudes in Britian?
Portrayed a lost, superior ‘white’ African civilisation - influenced by social Darwinist ideas around race
What new comic genre was popular in this period and what is an example?
Younger Victorians were invested in the tales of adventure such as ‘The Boys Own Paper’ in 1879:featured stories of soldiery and bravery across the globe (imperialist values)
‘The Boys Own Paper’ included contributions from Colonel Baden Powell. What did he do in his life?
. Participated in the invasion of Ndebele territory in 1890s.
. Later founded scouts movement
. Urged readers to lead ‘manly and Christian lives’
What school books did children read?
Ones with similar imperialist themes to the tales of bravery and adventure in ‘The Boys Own Paper’
What happened to clubs and associations during this period and what did this reinforce?
Became popularised, such as the Boys Brigade in 1883
- reinforced imperialist values by reminding young men of what it’s like to be part of the ‘glorious empire’ by taking part in military training
How did Victorian stories impact the empire at home by 1870s?
Stories of missionaries and explorers were read in newspapers and magazines at home to reinforce Victorian idea of British superiority
How did C.19 British public view the empire on a racial level and what did this mean?
As an ‘empire of races’: believed that they were superior to every other race from religion to their laws
This meant British believed bringing other races into the Empire could ‘civilise them’ and move them from their ‘savage’ existence to being good law-abiding citizens
How did missionaries influence empire at home?
Reported back on their work they had done to convert ‘heathens’, which were used in missionary pamphlets and as Sunday school stories
On return to Britain, some lectured at meetings and sometimes even achieved celebrity status such as David Livingstone, showing the appreciation of empire at home
How did adverts promote the empire at home?
Used imperial images to sell products, showing the importance of the empire to the public
Many images showed British to be superior to indigenous peoples, reflecting the belief that the empire was a force for civilisation
How did a view of white supremacy come about in Britain and how was it further encouraged?
Due to a sense of imperial duty to control overseas territory
- white supremacy encouraged in 1859: On the Origin Of Species book created
How was Darwin’s theory of natural selection being applied to human races justified in Britain?
Quasi-scientists suggested that ‘weaker races’ such as indigenous people of New Zealand were being wiped out
- anthropologists categorised racial groups based on this theory
What set off a chain of popular imperial exhibitions?
The success of the 1851 Great Exhibition
What imperial exhibition occurred in 1862?
International exhibition held in South Kensington, featuring over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries.
It represented a wide range of industry, technology and the arts
Displayed 7000 exhibits from India alone
What imperial exhibition was there in 1877?
Nubian village built featuring both animals and people from Sudan
- put on display at Alexandra Palace in London
What imperial exhibition took place in 1886?
Colonial and Indian exhibition held in South Kensington to give a ‘practical demonstration of the wealth and industrial developments of the outlying portions of the British empire.’
What imperial exhibition did London Host in 1890 and what were the features?
The Africa Exhibition in London
- work of traders, missionary and scientific groups to showcase Stanley’s African travels
- celebrated explorers and colonisation
- provided a display of photos and maps showing European colonial expansion in Africa and the routes of famous explorers
- presented a ‘human zoo’, showing how the British Empire built villages to hold in indigenous people like trophies
Stimulated scientific and anthropological interests, appearing to justify Britain’s presence in Africa.
What were features of the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition?
Buildings in the exhibition were built in an ‘Indian style’
. Artefacts from ceremonial swords to fly-swaggers were displayed (highs and lows of India)
Indians brought to Britain as ‘living exhibits’
- described as Indian craftsmen in the exhibition catalogue
- later turned out they were most likely prisoners who had been trained as part of a project to ‘reform the criminal castes’
What were the new scientific and pseudoscientific (not fact) ideas to support Britain’s racial views in C.19?
. Phrenology (measurement of the skull) used to create a ‘hierarchy of races’ with white Northern Europeans at the top
. Darwin’s theory of evolution
What role did Herbert Spencer (Darwin’s cousin) play in racial views in C.19?
Took Darwin’s theory and popularised the ‘survival of the fittest’ phrase in 1864, creating an erroneous version of Darwin’s theory (more racist than the original theory of evolution)
Who were social Darwinists and how was it used in Britain?
People that believed societies and peoples competed for dominance, and only the strongest societies could survive. Britain believed they were the stronger society, using this idea to justify British imperialsm.
