Joseph Chamberlain

Question 1

As Colonial Secretary in 1895, what did Chamberlain say?

Answer 1

“I believe that the British race is the greatest of the governing races the world has ever seen… It is the duty of a landlord to develop his estate.”

Question 2

What idea did he advocate as to how to administrate the Empire?

Answer 2

• Federation similar to US central government
• Each colony would eventually get self-gov over local affairs with defence and central gov in London’s empire parliament

Question 3

What idea did he advocate as to how to administrate the Empire ECONOMICALLY?

Answer 3

New customs union which included the whole Empire:

• Free trade between colonies
• External barrier adding tariffs to trade with goods from outside Empire

Question 4

What was his economic system influenced by?

Answer 4

German “Zollverein”

Question 5

What were some limitations to his “grand design” for Empire?

Answer 5

• 1897 Conference where he proposed some of his ideas was met with little support
• Federal Imperial Parliament and customs union rejected
• Colonial Conference never ended with an agreed upon plan
• Chamberlain couldn’t enthuse people with power over Empire

Question 6

What were some successes of his “grand design” for Empire?

Answer 6

• Encourages Australia to develop a Federal Constitution which still exists
• Introduced schemes to improve health
• Schools of Tropical Medicine est. in London and Liverpool
• Research into Africa’s worse diseases: malaria and sleeping sickness which produce important findings
• Set up Agricultural Department in West Indies to advise how to utilise land and gave gov money to islands to est. a steamer service to US and GB stimulating trade