Teh British Emiroe

tish empireThe British Empire
The British Empire was the greatest empire the world has ever seen, and for more than a century Britain was the foremost global power. It began in the 15th and 16thcenturies when global exploration sanctioned by the English and Scotish people began to establish overseas colonies. There are many reasons why these colonies were established, but one of the principalreasons was trade and financial benefit. Initially many colonies were established in North America and the Caribbean, but spread to Africa and Asia. The growth of the empire was not without opposition,notably from France and the Netherlands, and a big loss was sustained in 1783 when thirteen American colonies broke away from British rule. Australia and New Zealand were later added to the growinglist.
The years 1815 to 1914 are referred to as Britain's imperial century, and at this time, the Empire included over 14 million square miles of territory and 450 million people. It included morethan a quarter of the world's population and it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire, a phrase attributed to a Scottish writer, John Wilson. With supremacy at sea, Britain took on therole of global policeman, sometimes called the Pax Britannica. As well as having formal control over its own colonies, with a dominant position in world trade Britain could effectively control theeconomies of many countries including China, Argentina and Siam.
The empire was vital for trade and during the reign of Queen Victoria, at the height of the British Empire, British ports were full withships arriving from far and wide carrying the goods that were processed and sold making Britain a wealthy nation. The Great Exhibition of 1851, the very first World's Fair, was a celebration of thediversity and richness of the Empire.
The decline of the Empire took place largely in the early part of the twentieth century. There have been many reasons suggested as to the decline, but perhaps the...