British Public Attitudes to Empire

Question 1

Why did empire become more popular?

Answer 1

-growth of popular press
-increasingly popular setting for novels and magazines
-1870 Euducation Act increased literacy rates
-economic benefit
-Extension of franchise (reform acts)

Question 2

State some imperial themed literautre

Answer 2

-King Solomon’s mines
by Henry Rider Haggard who had been in Africa in the Zulu wars and First Boer war

-Four Feathers
by AEW Mason

-The Boy’s owner paper
stories about soldiering and bravery around the world
emphasis on the reader leading a “manly and christian live”

Question 3

State some imperialist Youth organisations

Answer 3

-Boy’s Brigade founded 1883
Semi- military discipline with relgious elements
Over 2000 companies formed by 1910 in Uk and empire

-Boys Scouts Association formed in 1910

Question 4

What was the chaning nature of British attitudes in this period?

Answer 4

Christian morality hugely influential force in Victorian society with concern for moralisitic reform and improvment at home and abroad
Exploits of missionaries and explorers contributed to the sense of a moral mission underway across empire
with emphasis on superiority
and a collective duty to “civilise”

Science also becoming influential
Charles Darwin published “Origin of the Species” in 1859 which was corrupted into “social Darwinism” which then led to the theory of Eguenics invented by Sir Francis Galton

Question 5

When was the first Great Exhibitation and where?

Answer 5

1851
Crystal Palace
6 million visitors

Question 6

What exhibits were at the Colonial and Indian Exhibit 1886 in London?

Answer 6

Indians used as “living exhibits”

Question 7

What was the African Exhibition 1890?

Answer 7

London
Incldued an African hut and two boys from Bechuanaland
used to justify British presence of bringing progression and christianity to the natives