british attitudes (1857-1890) Flashcards
Which party in Britain was the ‘party of empire’ by the 1870s
conservatives
who made the crystal palace speech
Disraeli
when was the crystal palace speech
1872
what was said in the crystal palace speech
no minister in this country will do his duty who neglects any opportunity of reconstructing as amuch as possible our colonial empire
the second great object of the Tory party was the maintenance of the empire
why did disraeli become so enthusiastic about empire
to win support from an electorate that had been enlarged following the 1867 reform act
what did Gladstone believe in terms of empire
Britain needed to avoid new acquisitions and concentrate on developing existing colonies to help them towards self government
what did Gladstone distinguish between
distinguished between ‘imperialism’ and ‘empire’
what was Gladstone’s opinion on Disraeli’s ‘imperialism’
believed Disraeli’s ‘imperialism’ talk was dangerous and could lead to ‘jingoism’
what is ‘jingoism’
empire-related patriotism which encouraged and celebrated British imperial gains and boasted about Britain’s power
when and where did Disraeli buy £4 million worth of shares
Suez canal in 1875
what was the Royal Titles Act
it bestowed the title ‘Empress of India’ on Queen Victoria
when was the Royal Titles Act passed
1877
what was the point of the Royal Titles Act
to embed British rule over India
who did Disraeli appoint as Viceroy of India in 1877
Robert Lytton
when did the British invade Afghanistan
November 1878
why did Lytton launch an invasion of Afghanistan
- consolidate and expand their control of the Raj
- Great Game- Russia had taken over Turkmeninstan in Feb 1878 so the British were scared of Russia encroaching into their buffer zone
how many Russian soldiers were seen in Afghan before the British decided to invade
3,000
how many soldiers to the British-Indian troops lose during Afghan invasion
almost 10,000 losses
what does the invasion of Afghanistan show about British governmental attitudes of empire
still concerned about expanding their empire and saw empire as a tool to assert influence and power over not only the natives but also other european powers
when did the first boer war occur
between 1880-1881
who started the first boer war and why
the Transvaal Boers wanted to throw off British control and declare their independence
where and when were the British defeated during the First Boer War
at Majuba Hill in Feb 1881
following their defeat at Majuba Hill what did Gladstone decide to do
Gladstone decided not commit further troops, time or money to uphold Disraeli’s ambition for British hegemony over South Africa
What does hegemony mean
dominance by one state over others in the region
Where and when did the Mahdist Rebellion take place
Sudan in 1884
What did Gladstone urge during the Mahdist Rebellion
he urged for the withdrawl of Anglo-Egyptian troops
What do Gladstone’s actions during the First Boer War and the Mahdist Rebellion show?
his actions highlight the differences between the conservative and liberal colonial policy and that everyone in Britain was unduly triumphalist
How do Gladstone’s actions during the Berlin Conference highlight that he wasn’t as much of an imperialist as Disraeli
- even though Bechuanaland became a British protectorate the local Tswana rulers were left in power
- when Germany claimed New Guinea Gladstone was reluctant to intervene (was the Queensland Premier who ordered British control over the region)
When was Gladstone’s Parliamentary Reform Act?
1884
How many men were eligible to vote following the Parliamentary Reform Act
5.5 million men
When did Gladstone resign
June 1885
What trend returned following the Parliamentary Reform Act
trend of using or promoting imperialism for support
What does the trend of promoting imperialism for support in elections show about attitudes to empire?
shows that British people were aware of Empire and had an opinion on it
When Gladstone return as prime minister
1886
When did Gladstone introduce the Home Rule Bill for Ireland
1886
What does the rejection of the Home Bill for Ireland show about attitudes to empire
shows that at this time majority of politicans in parliament were still quite imperialist and triumphant in their stance on empire
What role and how did the British press have in steering the British public reaction to the Indian mutiny
- played a big role
- pick and chose which events of the Indian Mutiny they publicised
- chose Cawnpore- Indian’s killed 200 captive British woman and children
- showed the Indians in a negative light
What does the press’s involvement in reporting the Indian Mutiny tell us about British attitudes to Empire at this time
Tells us that a lot the British public’s opinion on empire was based on what newspapers ad reporters told them
What did Edward Armitage’s painting ‘Retribution, 1858’ depict
depicted the events of the Indian Mutiny and the course of action that the British was going to take to ‘bring justice’ upon Indian rebels
How did Edward Armitage’s painting influence public opinion
it conveyed to them an interpretation of the mutiny and the ‘bravery’ of the British when faced with colonial disruption
the composition and proportions are highly melodramatic which displays the pride and emphasis placed on British strength
What did G.A Henty say about the intelligence of the average Negro
he said that the intelligence of the average negro is about equal to that of a European child of ten years old
What was G.A Henty known as
known as one of the most offensive colonial writers and was accused of xenophobia
What book did Rider Haggard write in 1885?
King Solomon’s Mines’
What is King Solomon’s Mines’ about?
the search of an unexpected region of Africa by a group of adventurers
How does Haggard portray African characters
depicts some as hero and heroines and included interracial romances
What does the main character in King Solomon’s Mines’ say about Africans
states that many Africans are more worthy of the title ‘gentleman’ that the Europeans who settle or adventure in the country
What does Haggard’s novel tell us about attitudes to empire
shows that not everyone was unduly triumphalist- especially as the book was a best seller
When was the Boys’ Own Paper founded?
1879
How popular was the Boys’ Own Paper and the Girls’ Own Paper
together they reached a circulation of half a million
What did Niall Fergusson write in ‘Empire’ about imperial readership
the most devoted readers of imperialist literature were schoolboys
What messages did the Boys’ Own Paper encourage
- soldiery and braver
- included contributions from Colonel Baden-Powell who urged readers to lead ‘manly and Christian lives’
What was exhibited at the 1877 empire exhibition in Alexandra Palace
a Nubian village featuring both animals and humans collected in the Sudan
What does the 1877 exhibition tell us about attitudes to empire
shows that a lot of people still saw natives as inherently inferior and emphasised the idea of the ‘other’ as they are something to be exhibited
