British Empire Chapter 4

How did the British Empire expand after 1857?

The British Empire expanded in a piecemeal fashion, driven by individuals seeking opportunities rather than a central plan.

What motives drove individuals to venture overseas during the expansion of the British Empire?

Individuals were motivated by scientific curiosity, the thrill of exploration, Christian duty, desire for wealth, power, and status.

How could a small British settlement evolve during imperial expansion?

A small settlement might attract traders, followed by explorers and missionaries, and eventually ambitious administrators.

Was the British Empire centrally planned after 1857?

No, the empire was not centrally planned and grew largely due to the actions of individuals, though saying it was accidental is an overstatement.

What role did individuals play in the expansion of the British Empire?

Individuals played a major role by driving British imperial growth and spreading British culture and influence globally.

What challenges did early Victorian explorers face?

Victorian explorers faced unfamiliar and often dangerous environments in their pursuit of fame, fortune, or scientific goals.

How did explorers influence British views of the Empire?

Explorers shaped attitudes through their exciting exploits, inspiring the public and promoting interest in the Empire.

Name four famous early Victorian explorers

David Livingstone, John Kirk, Richard Burton, and John Hanning Speke.

What impact did explorers have on Victorian society?

They influenced understanding of Africa through lectures, publications, and maps, and opened the way for traders and missionaries.

Who was the most famous early Victorian explorer?

David Livingstone was the most famous early Victorian explorer.

What was Livingstone's original role in Africa?

He began as a missionary doctor in South Africa in 1841.

What did Livingstone do after gaining fame in Britain in 1856-57?

He gave lectures at Cambridge about African geography, diseases, languages, and cultures.

What title did Livingstone receive in 1858?

He was appointed Consul for the East Coast of Africa.

What was the goal of Livingstone's 1858 expedition?

To explore the Zambezi River with a team of Africans, Indians, and formerly enslaved people.

How did Livingstone captivate the British public?

Through his published letters, dramatic expeditions, and tales of exploration, he thrilled and inspired the public.

What made Livingstone a legendary figure in Britain?

His disappearance and rediscovery by Henry Stanley in 1871 made him a martyr-like symbol of Empire and sacrifice.

When and why did David Livingstone first travel to South Africa?

He travelled to South Africa in 1841 as a missionary to spread the gospel and promote moral trade.

What inspired Livingstone's explorations beyond missionary work?

A desire to spread Christianity, encourage legitimate trade, and embrace Victorian adventure inspired his travels.

What desert did Livingstone explore early in his career?

He explored the Kalahari Desert.

What geographical features did Livingstone discover in 1849 and 1851?

He discovered Lake Ngami in 1849 and the Zambezi River in 1851.

What major waterfall did Livingstone discover and rename in 1855?

He discovered the Zambezi Falls and renamed them Victoria Falls.

What significant journey did Livingstone complete in 1853?

He crossed Africa from west to east.

What book did Livingstone publish in 1857?

He published Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.

What happened during Livingstone's 1858 expedition?

He attempted a difficult expedition along the Zambezi River.

Why did Livingstone go missing in 1866?

He went missing while trying to find the source of the Nile.

Who found Livingstone in 1871, and where?

Henry Stanley found him in a small African village.

When and how did David Livingstone die?

He died in Africa in 1873 from dysentery and malaria.

What is "legitimate trade" in the context of empire?

Legitimate trade refers to moral commerce like goods trading, as opposed to the slave trade or alcohol.

Who was the most famous advocate of legitimate trade?

David Livingstone was the most famous advocate of legitimate trade.

Who was John Kirk and what were his main interests?

John Kirk was a Scottish physician interested in adventure, science, and botany, with ambitions for a colonial role.

What role did Kirk have on Livingstone's Zambezi expedition?

He was the chief medical officer and botanist, appointed on the recommendation of Kew Gardens.

What did Kirk contribute scientifically during the expedition?

He collected and documented aquatic specimens, especially mussels, which he sent back to Britain and wrote about.

What danger did Kirk face during the Zambezi expedition?

He nearly drowned while exploring waterways with Livingstone.

What position did Kirk hold in Zanzibar starting in 1868?

He served as medical officer and Vice-Consul in the Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Why was Zanzibar important to British interests?

Zanzibar was wealthy, exported cloves and ivory, and had East Africa's first steam railway.

How did Kirk influence Zanzibar's political alignment?

He ensured Zanzibar acted as a British client state through diplomacy and treaty enforcement.

What impact did Kirk have on the slave trade in Zanzibar?

He helped negotiate treaties that led the Sultan to outlaw the slave trade.

How did Kirk help expand British influence in East Africa?

His work in Zanzibar gave Britain a foothold that later developed into British East Africa in 1895.

Who was Sir Richard Burton?

He was a linguistic scholar, explorer, and adventurer known for his writings on Muslim life and his daring travels.

What made Burton's visit to Mecca significant?

He was one of the first Western Christians to enter the sacred Islamic city of Mecca.

What injury did Burton suffer in Somaliland in 1855?

He was wounded in the jaw by a javelin thrown by a local.

What happened during Burton's 1857-58 expedition from Zanzibar?

He had to abandon it due to malaria, leaving Speke to claim the discovery of Lake Victoria.

What was the source of conflict between Burton and Speke?

They disagreed over whether Lake Victoria was the source of the Nile.

What happened to the planned 1864 debate between Burton and Speke?

It was cancelled due to Speke's sudden death.

How many volumes did Burton publish about his explorations?

He published 43 volumes on his travels and ethnographic observations.

What did Burton write about in his West African studies?

He described tribal rituals on birth, marriage, death, fetishism, ritual murder, and cannibalism.

What famous works did Burton translate?

He translated the Kama Sutra (1883) and The Arabian Nights (1885-88).

What controversial topics did Burton write about?

He explored topics like pornography, homosexuality, and the sexual education of women.

Who was John Hanning Speke and when did he begin exploring with Burton?

He was a British explorer who joined Burton's Somaliland expedition in 1855.

Why was Speke wounded during the 1855 expedition?

He was injured by a local during a dispute over Burton's punishment of a Somali guide.

What major discovery did Burton and Speke make together in 1858?

They were the first Europeans to reach Lake Tanganyika.

What did Speke discover alone in July 1858?

He discovered and named Lake Victoria, believing it to be the source of the Nile.

How was Speke's Nile theory received by others, including Burton?

It was rejected by Burton and widely disputed in England.

What did Speke and Grant achieve on their second expedition in 1860?

They traced the Nile northward and reached southern Sudan, meeting Baker and Florence von Sass.

What further discovery was made thanks to Speke's reports?

Samuel Baker's group located Lake Albert, another Nile source.

When were Speke's expedition accounts published?

His accounts were published in 1863 and 1864.

Why was a public debate between Speke and Burton scheduled in 1864?

To settle their disagreement over the true source of the Nile.

What happened to Speke before the debate could occur?

He died from a gunshot wound—likely suicide—the day before the debate.

What was the primary goal of 19th-century missionaries overseas?

To spread Christianity among non-Europeans.

Which Christian groups were most active in missionary work?

Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and non-conformists like Presbyterians and Methodists.

What is meant by "Christian imperialism"?

The use of missionary activity to promote Christian values and British cultural influence abroad.

What belief united evangelical missionary societies?

That worldwide conversion to Christianity was both possible and a moral duty.

How did some missionaries behave toward other religions?

Some were aggressive and believed non-Christian faiths were worthless.

In what way did missionaries help expand the British Empire?

They travelled beyond colonial borders, built links with locals, and sometimes called for British protection.

What regions did missionaries help open up to British influence?

Areas like the Congo in Africa and inland China in the 1880s.

How did missionaries contribute strategically to British imperialism?

They provided geographic and cultural knowledge to secular authorities.

How did missionary activity differ in places like the Punjab in the 1850s?

There, missionaries followed after British imperial conquest rather than leading it.

What is an Anglican?

A member of the Church of England, with the monarch as its head.

What is a Roman Catholic?

A Christian who recognizes the Pope as the head of the Church and does not accept Anglicanism.

What does "non-conformist" mean?

A Protestant who does not belong to the Church of England.

Who are Presbyterians?

Non-conformist Protestants, strong in Scotland, who prefer simple services and reject bishops.

Who are Methodists?

A Protestant group based on the ideas of Charles and John Wesley, popular among England's industrial working class.

What is Evangelical Christianity?

A form of Christianity emphasizing deep, personal faith rather than formal religious practice.

What does "secular" mean in this context?

Non-religious; referring to civil or governmental authorities.

Where had Methodist 'Conferences' been set up by the mid-19th century?

In Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

How did Methodist missionaries contribute to British rule in Fiji?

Missionaries from Australia prepared the ground for British annexation in 1874.

When was the South African Methodist Conference established?

In 1882.

Who was John Mackenzie and what did he do in 1883?

A Methodist missionary who pressured the British government to declare a protectorate over Bechuanaland; he was later made Deputy Commissioner.

Where and when did Methodist missions expand in China?

To Fat-shan in 1860 and Han-kau in 1862.

When was the West Indies Methodist Conference established?

In 1885.

What happened with Methodist missions in India during the 1850s?

They expanded rapidly.

What was the Ladies' Committee founded in 1858 and its purpose?

The Ladies Committee for the Amelioration of the Condition of Women in Heathen Countries aimed to support missionary work to improve women's lives abroad.

What larger organization was the Ladies' Committee a part of?

It was an auxiliary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society.

What motivated many female missionaries in the 19th century?

Christian faith, concern for women and children, and Victorian ideas of racial and moral duty.

How did female missionaries gain the respect of indigenous people?

By learning local languages and adapting to native cultures.

Who was Mary Slessor and where did she work?

A Scottish missionary who worked in Calabar, Nigeria.

What harmful practice did Mary Slessor campaign against?

The killing of twins, which locals believed was caused by evil spirits.

Who was Amy Carmichael and what was her mission in India?

A Presbyterian missionary who rescued girls from temple prostitution.

How did Amy Carmichael try to integrate into Indian society?

She wore Indian clothing and dyed her skin with coffee to blend in.

How long did Amy Carmichael serve in India, and what did she write?

She served for 55 years and wrote 35 books about her experiences.

Who was Mary Carpenter and what was her focus in India?

A Christian reformer who promoted female education and social reform.

What did Mary Carpenter achieve in 1868?

She secured funding to establish a training college for Indian female teachers.

Besides education, what other reforms did Mary Carpenter advocate in India?

Improvements to hospitals and prisons (gaols).

What did missionaries typically offer in exchange for conversion to Christianity?

Housing, farm work, food, jobs, and education.

What Western practices were converts expected to adopt?

Monogamous marriage, British gender roles, Western clothing, and housing.

How did missionary work affect indigenous traditions?

It often undermined or replaced indigenous spiritual and cultural practices.

How did missionaries contribute to imperialism beyond religious work?

They helped claim territory, expanded British commerce, and promoted Western goods and culture.

Why were material rewards significant in missionary conversion efforts?

They appealed to indigenous people during times of colonial destabilisation.

How did missionary efforts reinforce British influence in colonies?

By linking religious conversion with Western cultural assimilation and economic dependence.

What was the ideal goal of Christian missions in Africa?

To create self-financing, self-governing, expansionist Christian communities (e.g., Livingstone Inland Mission).