Empire Explain Questions Flashcards
Explain why there was tension between England and Ireland between c.1688 and c.1730.
Most Irish Catholics opposed to William IV and supported James II (Declaration of Liberty of Conscience; promise to give Irish Parliament more power). Also Catholic Irish resentment of plantations – uprisings against Protestant landlords
War between Jacobites and Williamites; Williamite victory at Aughrim in 1691
Irish thereafter treated as second-class; penal laws against Catholics. Even Protestant Ascendancy in ‘parent-child’ relationship with England.
Explain why many Irish people opposed King William III between 1689 and 1691.
Many Irish Catholics supported James II because of the Declaration of Liberty of Conscience and promise to give Irish Parliament more power.
William supported the Protestant planters; growth of plantations which had taken land from Catholics, particularly in Ulster, with army garrisons and new towns where only English laws and customs were permitted, e.g. Londonderry. Led to Catholics rising up.
Some Irish Protestant supported the Jacobites as they believed William had no legal right to be king
Explain how English expansion between 1688 and 1730 affected Ireland.
Protestants were ‘planted’ in the north to colonise it – seen as being more loyal to the English crown because of their religion, esp in Ulster, e.g. Londonderry. 50,000 more Scottish families arrived between 1690 and 1715 meant that Catholics owned only 14% of the land despite forming 3 quarters of the population of 4 million
Other penal laws, e.g. inheritance rights of Catholics taken away; banned from some professions; 1728 – not allowed to vote
Exacerbated Catholic-Protestant divide but also created divides among Protestants (e.g. Protestant Ascendancy v poorer Scottish Protestants)
Explain why there was tension between England and Scotland between c.1688 and c.1730.
Tension between supporters of James II (VII) – Jacobites – mainly Highlanders, e.g. MacDonalds and supporters of William III (Williamites, mainly Lowlanders, e.g. Campbells). Jacobites believed James was rightful King and Scottish Parliament hadn’t been consulted about the invitation to make William king. Tension led to conflict, e.g. Battle of Killicrankie, and 1715 Jacobite rebellion
William’s response to rebellion, such as military occupation of the highlands and building a new army base – Fort William, was background to massacre of Glencoe. ‘Murder by trust’ – created climate of fear and anger in Highlands, and deepened divisions between English and Scottish Parliaments. Highlanders also suffered loss of way of life following Act of Union
English economic policies before 1707, e.g. Navigation Act, held Scotland back, preventing trade with England and its Empire. Scots also blamed William and England for failure of Darien Scheme. After 1707 much of Scotland’s capital wealth was moved to London
Explain how English expansion between 1688 and 1730 affected Scotland.
Jacobites – mainly Highlanders, e.g. MacDonalds forced to William III as king, even Jacobites believed James was rightful King and Scottish Parliament hadn’t been consulted about the invitation to make William king. Tension led to conflict, e.g. Battle of Killicrankie, and 1715 Jacobite rebellion
William’s military occupation of the Highlands and building a new army base – Fort William, was background to massacre of Glencoe which created climate of anger in Highlands. Highlanders also suffered loss of way of life following Act of Union. After 1707 Scotland came under the military control of England. 1716 Disarming Act; 1725 onwards saw General George Wade build network of roads to control Scotland
English economic policies before 1707, e.g. Navigation Act, held Scotland back, preventing trade with England and its Empire. Scots also blamed William and England for failure of Darien Scheme. After 1707 much of Scotland’s capital wealth was moved to London. However, after 1707 those who lost out in the Darien Scheme were compensated; Royal Bank of Scotland set up; exports of grain and oatmeal more than doubled, 1707-1722
Explain why the Darien Scheme failed.
Mistakes by settlers – poor supplies; wrong farming skills; settlement in an area the Spanish regarded as part of their empire
Conditions – hot, humid and swampy; disease that spread rapidly (200 dead by March 1699 and 10 dying each day)
Undermining from England – opposition from William and EIC; withdrawal of support from English directors
Explain why the Scottish Parliament voted to close itself down by 1707.
Prospect of freer trade and improved economy; English agreed to allow greater trade freedom and promised to write off Darien debt.
Scottish Parliament dominated by Protestants – union would guarantee Protestant rule. Scottish church and legal system would be unchanged. Scottish politicians were bribed with large amounts of money and seats in the House or Lords
Military reasons – if it agreed, Scotland would enjoy military protection; if it did not agree, English troops would move northwards so Scots feared invasion.
Explain how the Act of Union affected Scotland between 1707 and 1730.
Military control. England spend lots of money garrisoning Scotland; 1716 Disarming Act; 1725 onwards – Wade’s roads. 1708 Cruiser and Convoy Act guaranteed Royal Navy protection of Scotland
Economic benefits and problems. Darien Scheme investors got money back – several invested it into Royal Bank of Scotland. Glasgow became major international port (tobacco). 1730s Scottish economy was booming, although some industries, like paper industry struggled. 1710 onwards taxes and duties increased, causing suffering.
Tax riots, e.g. Malt Tax riots in 1725. Highlanders poorer, although new career opportunities for leading Scottish politicans
Explain why people emigrated from Britain to the Americas between 1688 and c.1730.
They were forced to. Transported because they were rebels, convicted criminals or from an ‘undesirable group’. 1718 Transportation Act. 50,000 men women and children transported on convict ships to tobacco plantations, serving 7 years. 1000 Scottish supporters of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion sent to North America and the Caribbean.
In search of better life. Volunteered as indentured servants/labourers – agreed to work as someone’s property for 7-8 years to escape poverty/lack of opportunity in Britain. Some did well, e.g. John Campbell.
Scottish adventurers – opportunities to earn living as mercenaries or in EIC, e.g. John Drummond.
Explain why so many people emigrated from Scotland and Ireland during this period.
Scottish (Jacobite) rebels – 1259 persuaded to ‘petition for transportation’ to avoid execution. 450 went to North America and 170 to the Caribbean. 185 were bought in South Carolina to fight the Yammasee people. Catholic Irish Jacobite rebels also transported.
Volunteer indentured servants who agreed to work as someone’s property to escape harvest failures and famine in Scotland and Ireland in the 1690s. Many Scots were also victims of enclosures and many Irish families had been forced off the land by the Ulster plantations. Ended up in the Americas or Caribbean.
Ulster Scots – Scottish Protestants migrated to Ulster following the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Given attractive offers by the English government to settle in Ulster on land taken from Irish. Better weather and soil for cultivation in Ulster.
Explain why the Atlantic trade became so profitable for British merchants and planters.
End of RAC monopoly opened up triangular trade to private businesses. Ships were never empty, so money was made on each leg of the triangle (goods from Britain to Africa; enslaved Africans from Africa to Caribbean; sugar, tobacco and other goods back to Britain)
Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and granting of the asiento to Britain from Spain opened up access to more and more cheap labour.
Exploitation of enslaved Africans through chattel enslavement, meaning they could be bought and sold, and made to work for nothing, leading to increased profits. As demand for sugar and tobacco grew, British merchants enslaved more and more Africans leading to greater profits. Owners of slave ships made profits of 20-50%
Explain why the Asian trade became so profitable for British merchants.
Growth in strength of EIC. Although Child’s War resulted in loss of Surat, they set up a new ‘factory’ in 1690 which would become Calcutta. Allowed easy access to Bay of Bengal and East Asia – poppies grown in NE India exported to China, generating profit for British merchants.
Demand for luxury commodities in England e.g. coffee, tea, furniture and porcelain, led to expansion of EIC activities across Asia. In 1691, for example, the EIC paid a 50% dividend to its investors.
Explain how the British economy changed as a result of expansion of the British Empire between 1688 and c.1730.
Vast expense of colonial wars meant that William III needed access to money to spend on troops, weapons and new military technology. This led to the establishment of the Bank of England which would lend money to the government. Led to creation of the National Debt. Many of BoE’s investors and directors were directly involved in the triangular trade.
Boom in trade. Home market established with more and more people smoking tobacco, drinking rum, tea, coffee and consuming sugar. Vast amounts of money generated by trade in the empire helped boost the banking system and led to expansion of credit to companies and individuals. Individuals could become very wealthy (or lose their wealth) by investing in companies like the South Sea Company
Change in how people regarded money – bank notes issues by the BoE were not actual money but promises to pay.
Explain how the growth of the British Empire changed the lives of people in Britain between 1688 and c.1730.
New employment opportunities (administrators for EIC; planters in Virginia or Barbados; ship-builders, port-workers, rope-makers, gun producers in Birmingham etc.)
Consumer habits changed – tea, coffee, sugar, Indian textiles, Chinese porcelain, tobacco (in 1680, tobacco was one sixtieth of the price of what it had been in 1600). Growth of coffee houses.
Growth of slave ports saw benefits for people living in those cities, e.g. Blue Coat hospital in Liverpool, charity for very poor children with money from Bryan Blundell, a merchant and sea captain who made money from the triangular trade.
Explain how British involvement in the slave trade affected people in Britain between 1688 and c.1730.
New employment opportunities (planters in Virginia or Barbados; ship-builders, port-workers, rope-makers, gun producers in Birmingham, chain-makers in Wolverhampton etc. Also indentured labourers)
Consumer habits changed – increase in demand for sugar and tobacco (in 1680, tobacco was one sixtieth of the price of what it had been in 1600). Attitudes of people also changed, with more racist ideas becoming common.
Growth of slave ports saw benefits for people living in those cities, e.g. Blue Coat hospital in Liverpool, charity for very poor children with money from Bryan Blundell, a merchant and sea captain who made money from the triangular trade.
