The evolution of Britain's network of ports, entrepôts and trade routes in the years 1763-1914

Question 1

When was Singapore acquired?

Answer 1

1819

Question 2

The secret to Singapore’s explosive growth was…

Answer 2

its status as an entrepôt, where ships of all nationalities could dock without incurring taxes or tariffs

Question 3

The significance of the tax-free status of Singapore

Answer 3

The tax-free status of Singapore quickly drew merchangs from the Malay Archipelago and further afield, and goods from all over South-East Asia flooded flooded into the city

Question 4

The explosive growth of Singapore signalled…

Answer 4

a new era in imperial trade

Question 5

What did Singapore demonstrate?

Answer 5

The success of the city demonstrated to young, ambitious and thoughtful British politicians like Robert Peel the possibilities of an empire run on free trade

Question 6

When was the acquisition of Hong Kong?

Answer 6

1842

Question 7

What was the Chinese blockade of 1839?

Answer 7

The naval blockade imposed by the Qing Dynasty in an attempt to prevent foreign trade - particularly the illegal opium trade - leading leading the outbreak of the First Opium War

Question 8

Why did the East India Company begin to trade Opium? (a drug that had been made illegal in China by imperial edict)

Answer 8

The East India Company found itself with a negative balance of trade and Opium could be grown cheaply in India

Question 9

Gunboat diplomacy

Answer 9

A means of conducting foreign policy by deliberately displaying naval power as a means of intimidation

Question 10

When was the Treaty of Nanking signed?

Answer 10

1842

Question 11

What was the Treaty of Nanking?

Answer 11

It marked the end of the First Opium War between China and Britain

• resulted in China ceding Hong Kong to Britain
• allowed for free British trade with any merchants in China
• forced China to pay damages for the destroyed opium

Question 11

When was Shanghai opened up to trade?

Answer 11

1842

Question 12

Where is Shanghai situated?

Answer 12

The city is situated at the mouth of China’s largest river, the Yangtze

Question 13

The Yangtze river

Answer 13

A navigable waterway of over 1,000 miles for ocean-going ships and further for river craft

Question 14

Under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking, British merchants were not only allowed to trade at Shanghai, but could now…

Answer 14

trade with anyone rather than a Hong monopoly, and could access the length of the Yangtze

Question 15

Shanghai and Opium

Answer 15

The Opium trade boomed in Shanghai and Opium imports grew steadily - reaching 6,500 tons of Opium in 1880

Question 16

The Taiping Rebellion

Answer 16

A political and religious uprising that lasted for 14 years in China

Question 17

When was the Suez Canal purchased?

Answer 17

1875

Question 18

Suez Canal

Answer 18

The narrow isthmus of Suez separating the Red Sea from the Mediterranean Sea

Question 19

What circumstances led led the construction of the Suez Canal?

Answer 19

The construction was driven by the growing demand for a more direct and efficient trade route between Europe and Asia

The strategic interests of European powers in controlling key maritime passages

Question 20

How many years did the construction of the Suez Canal take?

Answer 20

10

Question 21

Over time, the Suez Canal had a major impact on…

Answer 21

long-distance trade routes (especially to India)

Question 22

The Suez Canal played a significant role in…

Answer 22

global trade and transportation

Question 23

How did the acquisition of the Suez Canal mark a significant departure in British trading policy?

Answer 23

It demonstrated a shift towards a more direct involvement in securing and controlling key trade routes - reflecting a more assertive imperialistic approach to safeguarding British interests in global trade and geopolitics

Question 24

When was Zanzibar acquired?

Answer 24

1890

Question 25

Why is Zanzibar a strategic location?

Answer 25

• Geographical position in the Indian Ocean makes it an important hub for maritime trade routes connecting Africa, the Middle East and Asia
• Zanzibar’s historical prominence in the spice trade (particularly in cloves) made it economically valuable
• It’s proximity to the East African mainland provided a base for colonial powers to exert influence and control over the region during the era of European imperialism

Question 26

The “Great Game”

Answer 26

A term given to the political and economic rivalry between the Russian and British Empires for supremacy in Central Asia during the 19th century

Question 27

Why is Weihaiwei a significant location?

Answer 27

• It’s strategic naval position
• Provides control over the Yellow Sea and access to Northeast Asia

Question 28

Russia took control of ____ ______ in 1897 during the 19th century

Answer 28

Port Arthur

Question 29

Why did Britain obtain the lease of Weihaiwei in 1898?

Answer 29

Britain seized the nearest harbour it could find to Port Arthur just incase it turned out to be useful in countering Russian development

Question 30

Why is the lease of Weihaiwei significant?

Answer 30

It donstrayed how far British colonial interests had come from their commercial beginnings (the port had had no commercial value)