Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

A series of vocabulary flashcards derived from a lecture on the complexities of the British Empire and its global impact.

British Empire

The largest empire in history, often viewed negatively in modern times due to its role in the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism.

Slave Trade

The transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans, considered a crime against humanity.

Anglobalisation

The term describing the history of globalization as promoted by Britain, encompassing both the crimes and credits of the British Empire.

Cobden's Assumption

The belief that trade and the spread of British civilization did not require imperial structures, suggesting that voluntary economic integration was preferable.

Economic Exploitation

The view held by nationalist-marxists that imperialism primarily served to exploit colonized nations economically.

Free Trade

An economic system advocated by liberal economists, arguing that open markets benefit all parties involved and that imperialism is counterproductive.

Plantation

A term used historically to denote large scale agricultural enterprises, often associated with exploitation and ethnic cleansing, especially in Ireland.

Buccaneers

Pirates licensed by the English government who engaged in piracy against Spanish colonies, often to wage informal wars.

Maroons

Escaped slaves who lived independently, often in guerrilla warfare against plantation economies.

Sepoy Mutiny

A significant rebellion in 1857 against British rule in India, driven by cultural insensitivity and grievances among Indian soldiers.

Imperialism

The policy or ideology of extending a nation's rule over foreign countries, often associated with the oppression and exploitation of subject peoples.

Victorian Missionaries

Individuals who sought to spread Christianity and European civilization in Africa, viewing themselves as benevolent forces.

David Livingstone

A Scottish missionary and explorer whose travels aimed to spread Christianity and commerce in Africa, reflecting the complexities of imperial motivations.

Sati

A historical Hindu practice involving a widow self-immolating on her husband's funeral pyre, which British missionaries campaigned against.

Ilbert Bill

Proposed legislation in India that sought to allow Indian judges to try British defendants, provoking significant backlash and racial tensions.

Scramble for Africa

The rapid colonization of African territory by European powers during the late 19th century, often characterized by aggressive competition and exploitation.

Anglo-Boer War

A conflict between the British Empire and two Boer republics in South Africa, which raised questions of imperial strategy and governance.

Decolonization

The process through which colonies gained independence from imperial powers, often resulting in political upheaval and social change.

Weltkrieg

A term used by Germans to depict World War I as a global war involving empires, reflecting the interconnected nature of imperial conflicts.

Post-Imperial Age

The period following the decline of empires characterized by economic globalization and political fragmentation.