British Colonisation: Ireland, America & West Indies, and India

Flashcards covering key events, figures, causes, and impacts of British colonisation across Ireland, America and the West Indies, and India.

Henry II's Invasion of Ireland (1171)

The 1171 invasion that initiated British medieval warfare and subsequent colonisation in Ireland.

Ulster Plantations (1609)

Plantations established by James I in 1609 where people were moved into Ireland, sparking persistent conflict between Catholic natives and Protestant incomers.

Act of Union (1800)

An 1800 act that united Ireland with Britain, leaving Ireland governed by an absentee landlord system and a resented 20% Protestant ruling elite.

Potato Famine (1845–1847)

A catastrophic famine in Ireland from 1845 to 1847; by 1852, 1 million people had died and 3 million had left.

Irish Republican Brotherhood (1867)

An Irish nationalist organisation whose unrest in 1867 directly impacted British politics.

Home Rule

A major political issue regarding Irish self-governance that significantly impacted UK politics just before WWI.

Belfast Shipyards

A key industrial center in Ireland supported by the British that produced ships for the empire, contrasting with the general British neglect of the country.

Roanoake (1587)

An early English colonisation attempt in North America founded in 1587.

Mayflower (1620)

The ship that sailed in 1620 carrying Puritan settlers seeking to avoid religious persecution in Britain.

Virginia Company

A chartered company granted royal charters by British monarchs to establish government influence and settlements in North America.

Sugar to Barbados (1643)

The introduction of sugar cultivation to Barbados in 1643, following a royal charter in 1627, which grew into a massive trade that reached $5\times$ the size of the tobacco trade by 1775.

Native American Population Collapse

The drastic reduction of the native population from 2 million in 1500 down to 325,000 as a result of European disease and warfare.

American Independence (1776)

The 1776 event resulting from war between Great Britain and the American colonies, which led to Britain losing its American territories.

Slave Trade Abolition (1833)

The end of legal British slave trade wealth in 1833, after which Britain continued to extract wealth from the West Indies.

East India Company (1600)

A trading enterprise chartered in 1600 initially with only trading posts, which expanded into political and military control as the Mughal Empire weakened in the 1750s.

Battle of Plassey (1757)

A pivotal 1757 battle that allowed the East India Company to begin seizing political power in India.

Treaty of Allahabad (1765)

The 1765 treaty under which the East India Company officially started taking control of Indian territories.

Indian Mutiny (1857)

A major uprising in 1857 marked by violence that led the British government to end East India Company administration and take direct imperial control.

The Raj

The period of direct British governmental rule in India that created job opportunities, railways, communications, and hospitals, alongside racism, cultural destruction, and violence.

'Jewel in the Crown'

A phrase describing India's status as the most valuable asset of the British Empire, providing troops, lucrative trade (spices, tea, opium), and cultural influence on Britain.

Indian Famines (1876–1878)

Devastating famines that struck India between 1876 and 1878 during British colonial rule.