The British Empire: An Overview

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the British Empire.

Empire

A large political unit or state that rules over territories and peoples, often through conquest and colonization.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means.

Colonization

The act of establishing control over foreign territory and its people, often involving settlement.

Mercantilism

An economic policy that emphasizes the role of the state in managing the economy, with the aim of increasing national wealth through trade.

Public Good

Services or products that benefit the public, often funded or provided by the government.

Geopolitical Motivation

Motivation driven by the strategic importance of geographic locations, often influencing expansionist policies.

Blood Never Dried

A book by John Newsinger that catalogs the atrocities and violence associated with imperialism.

The Unfinished Empire

A critical examination by John Darwin, arguing that empires are a norm rather than an exception in human political organization.

Cultural Restitution

The return of cultural artifacts to their countries of origin, often linked to colonial histories.

Indentured Labor

A system where individuals work under contract for a specified period of time in exchange for passage to a destination and basic needs.

The British East India Company

A joint-stock company that traded in the Indian Ocean region and played a significant role in the expansion of British imperial rule in India.

The Black Hole of Calcutta

An incident in 1756 where British prisoners were held in a small space, symbolizing British colonial barbarism.

The Balfour Declaration

A statement by the British government expressing support for a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine.

The Doctrine of Lapse

A policy whereby the British East India Company annexed Indian states when their rulers died without a direct heir.

The Scramble for Africa

The rapid invasion, colonization, and annexation of African territories by European powers in the late 19th century.

Social Darwinism

The application of Darwin's theories of evolution to human society, often justifying imperialism on the basis of racial superiority.

War of Independence (1857)

Also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, it was a major, but ultimately unsuccessful, uprising against the British East India Company's rule in India.

The Morant Bay Rebellion

An uprising in Jamaica in 1865 against the colonial government due to economic and social injustices, leading to brutal suppression by British forces.

Informal Empire

Areas where a country exercises influence without formal political control, often through economic domination.