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History year 8 > British Empire > Flashcards

British Empire Flashcards

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1
Q

What did “the sun never sets on the British Empire”

A

It meant the British Empire was so vast the sun couldn’t set on all the land

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2
Q

What was Britain known as

A

The mother country

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3
Q

What were the land the Britain Empire stole called

A

Colonies

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4
Q

What is it called when an empire takes over a colony

A

Annex

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5
Q

How many people and how much land did the British empire rule at its peak (when was it)

A

400 million people while ruling 1/4 of the world in 1922

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6
Q

Why did the British Empire invade

A
  1. More resources
  2. To become a powerful country
  3. Civilising mission
  4. Trading manufactured goods
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7
Q

How did the British empire conquer

A
  1. Technology
  2. Fear
  3. Divide and conquer
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8
Q

What goods did India have

A

Silk, cotton, sugar, iron ore, copper, gold, silver, gemstones, spices and tea

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9
Q

Why was the British Empire interested in Australia

A

They would chuck their prisoners there

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10
Q

Why was the British empire interested in South Africa

A

They could find lots of diamond and gold

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11
Q

What did Britain take from Canada

A

Timber for building

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12
Q

What did Britain introduce to their colonies

A

Sports like cricket so that’s why India and Australia are big in cricket

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13
Q

How was Britain able to invade such large countries if it itself was small

A

They experienced the Industrial Revolution before any other country had so they were more advanced in every aspect.

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14
Q

How many countries did Britain not try invade and name 5

A

22 such as Guatemala, Belarus, Luxembourg, Monaco and Ivory Coast

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15
Q

Define empire

A

A collection of land ruled over by one leading or mother country

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16
Q

What was divide and conquer

A

A method by creating divisions to prevent unity (rebellion) and encouraged rivalries. They made countries dependent on the Empire by only allowing trade from them and encouraged rivalries by telling ruler of A that ruled of B wants to start a war, whole telling ruler B that A wants to start a war

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17
Q

What was the civilising mission

A

Britain’s as a Christian country so they enforced their religion onto the colonies, thinking they were being honourable helping other colonies to become like Britain and therefore improve

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18
Q

What became a British naval base

A

Gilbraltar

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19
Q

How did winning a war help the British Empire

A

If Britain won a war with another country, it could often take any land the country owned so when Britain won the Seven Years War (1756-1763) against France, land conquered by France in America and India became part of the British Empire.

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20
Q

How did discovering new countries help the British Empire

A

Explorers might find land to claw, for Britain. In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed to Australia to strengthen the claim that the land belonged the Britain. British settlers settled and ignored the indigenous Australians, who became part of the British Empire

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21
Q

How did East coast of America become part of the British Empire

A

British settlers left Britain for business opportunities, a chance to own land and to escape punishment. They were still British so any land they had settlements in were claimed by the British Empire in the 1600s to 1700s. Over time, more settlers came and Britain ruled the east coast then set taxes after being in debt from the Seven Years War, which backfired and inspired the American Revolution

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22
Q

What was it called when much of Europe wanted Africa and when was it

A

In 1880s, it was called the ‘Scramble for Africa’

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23
Q

What country did the BE exploit for cheap production of cotton

A

India

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24
Q

Which countries/ people have tried to conquer India before Britain

A

Persians, Iranians, Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, China, France and lastly Britain

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25
Why did China invade India
For knowledge of ancient Indian universities
26
Why did many countries want to trade/ invade with India
They could become rich if they trade and if they invade the country could have strong trading links with many wealthy countries
27
What were the main religions in India before Britain arrived
Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism
28
By the early 1500s what happened to India
It was split into kingdoms, mainly run by Hindu princes
29
While emperor ruled over all Hindu princes
Mughal
30
What religion were the Mughals
Muslims
31
Who was Akbar
He was a Mughal Emperor who managed to unite many Indian states. Akbar was known for his knowledge or literature, architecture and religious tolerance.
32
Who was Shah Jahan
He was Akbar’s grandson and built the Taj Mahal in honour of his third wife, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child.
33
Who was Aurangzeb
He was Shah Jahan’s son and an extremist Muslim. He demolished Hindu temples, had discriminatory tax and persecution on religious minorities. However, he was advanced in military and the Mughal empire was at its peak during his reign
34
How did the Mughals lose power
War broke out and European nations became interested and saw it as an opportunity to gain power using divide and conquer
35
What were the European nations that interested in India after the Mughals lost control
France, Denmark, Netherlands and Britain
36
What did the European nations do when their ally won
Demanded rewards
37
When and who found out how to get from Europe to India (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi, Myanmar and Pakistan)
In 1497, à Portuguese explorer called Vasco de Gama
38
What did the European nations interested in India do
Create trading stations aureounded by men with guns with permission
39
What were all trading companies run by
East India Company
40
What did the British empire do as a defence against miasma
Invaded the island of run because it had lots of nutmeg
41
Where were the E.I.C Company headquarters located
Leadland street
42
When was the East India Company founded
31 December 1600
43
What were joint stock companies
Where people owned tiny shares to raise investments
44
What was the first major trading port that’s long lasting
Madras
45
How did Bombay become part of the British empire
When Charles II married a Portuguese princess, a treaty was organised to gift Bombay to the British Empire
46
What was the significance of the Battle of Plassey in 1757
The British empire took over bengal
47
Explain the Opium Wars
Opium was a drug that people smoked to relax and it was highly addictive. China was the importer of it and when they realised the damage it caused, they refused to sell it to Britain or anyone. In response, EIC burned down a city in China.
48
What was the Bengal famine
In 1770, 10 million people died of starvation under British rule and in proportion to the global population à t the time, that was very significant
49
What was India known as during the British empire
The jewel of the crown
50
Explain how the Indian mutiny started
Until 1857, India was ruled by the E.I.C but in 1857 Indian soldiers fought back. Many Britons in E.I.C lived in luxury and made lots of money. To ‘protect’ the Britons, E.I.C used their own British soldiers (they wanted things to run smoothly). On 10 May 1857, Sepoys were working in Meerut (Northern India) and shot many British soldiers after the cartridge commotion
51
What were Indian soldiers working for the British Empire called
Sepoys
52
What are different names for the Indian mutiny
War of Independence
53
What is the difference between a mutiny and war
A mutiny describes a rebellion against an authority. A war is armed conflict between two authorities
54
How much British sepoys and British soldiers were there in the British army in the Indian mutiny
80,000/ 100,000 Sepoys and 45,000 British soldiers
55
Why did the Sepoys rebel against Britain
1. They had little hope of promotion 2. They were first sent to the most dangerous places 3. Pressured into Christianity 4. Lack of cultural understanding 5. Excessive taxes 6. Poor pay
56
What lack of cultural understanding from the British caused the most commotion
On January 1857, each Indian soldier was given a new rifle that used bullet and gunpowder kept in a container (cartridge). The cartridge was covered in grease to make bullets slide down the gun barrel quicker but loading the gun meant biting the cartridge, called an Enfield rifle. It was rumoured the grease came from pork, forbidden to Muslims, and cow fat, sacred to Hindus, so 85 refused to use them. They were sent to jail for 10 years and fellow sepoys rioted in support and the war began.
57
How large was the Indian army in the Indian mutiny
300,000/ 350,000 Sepoys
58
When did the Indian mutiny end
July 1858
59
Where were the major battles in the Indian mutiny
Delhi, Cawnpore and Lucknow
60
Who won the Indian mutiny
British army
61
What were punishments towards sepoys
Some were strapped to canons, waiting to be fired, while others were hanged
62
What happened after the Indian mutiny
A new government office, called the India Office, was established in 1858 and the E.I.C ended and a viceroy was in charge of India, on the behalf of Queen Victoria. Britons also interfered less with religion and allowed Indians to run in the locals government. However, by 1900, 9/10 joins were run by Britons.
63
What is the Indian mutiny called in Britain versus India
Britain- Indian mutiny or Sepoy rebellion India- First War of Independence or Indian Freedom Struggle
64
Why were punishments so brutal against the Indian army
To set an example of what would happen if Sepoys tried rebelling again.
65
When and how many did people from the Windrush generation come
People left the Caribbean on June 21 1948 and arrived June 22 and over the whole time, half a million people came from the West Indies
66
Why is the Windrush Generation called Windrush
It was the name of the first boat they arrived in (HMT Empire Windrush)
67
When did the Windrush Generation start and end
1948- 1973
68
What were struggles the Windrush Generation faced
- Did a British accent to fit in - At home, people were very social but not in UK - Spat on - Stereotyped as all Jamaican as it’s all British people knew at the time - Nurses were rejected form patients because of racism - Different foods (mainly potatoes) in Britain but much different in the Caribbean - KBW sprayed on doors (Keep Britain White) - Not allowed to enter some places - Refused jobs because of their skin
69
Why did the Windrush Generation migrate in Britain
After World War 2, Britain had lost lots of money and needed rebuilding. As a result, they created the British Nationality Act 1948 to the Caribbean people to come back to Britain to help rebuild the country and were granted rights. It wasn’t difficult to get a job since half a million people died, but it was legal to turn down workers because of their skin colour.
70
What health service was made after World War 2
NHS, where people paid through tax, meaning it was free at the point of use.
71
What were the most popular jobs and why
1. Nurses (need many for the NHS) 2. Transportation (many people need to get to work) 3. Mechanics 4. Clerks 5. Tailors
72
What were push factors for wid rush generation to migrate to the UK
- Increasing poverty and hardship in the Caribbean - Global sugar prices were low CHECK LATER - 1944 Hurricane devastated Jamaica and surrounding islands - No tourism industry established
73
What were pull factors for wid rush generation to migrate to the UK
- Large job opportunities - Offer to be a legal citizen of UK - Better wages/ living standards - Education and healthcare - Caribbean people were raised to respect British culture as it is the “mother country”
74
What did the Windrush generation to do help Britain
- Supported economy - Brought new foods - Brought music like reggae/ ska/ jazz
75
What was a public display of racism
Enoch Powell’s river of blood speech in 1968 stating Britain must be mad to allow immigrants come into the UK
76
What was an example of someone being refused a job because of their race and how did it change
Roy Hackett had a friend called Guy Bailey and he wanted to be a bus driver but the bus company denied him because he was black. However on 28 August 1963, the bus company allowed black people to drive buses. After, UK passed a law was called the Race Relation Act of 1968, meaning it was illegal to not employ somebody because of their race.
77
Who created the murals of St Pauls
Michelle Curtis
78
Who are the Seven Saints of Saint Pauls
Audley Evans, Barbara Dettering, Carmen Beckford, Clifford Drummond, Dolores Campbell, Owen Henry and Roy Hackett
79
How is Saint Pauls related to the Windrush Generation
It’s where most Caribbean people were living because it was the only place they could rent due to discrimination
80
What did Audley Evans do
He was a member of the West Indian Development Council and established the first Saint Pauls festival in 1968. The year after he moved to Florida
81
What did Barbara Dettering do
She was a social worker and helped kids overcome prejudice during their youth. She was also a founded of the St Paul’s carnival
82
What did Carmen Beckford do
She was a nurse and one of the organisers of the first St Paul’s carnival, in charge of entertainment. In the 1970s, she became the Bristol’s first race relations officer
83
What did Clifford Drummond do
He made a cafe and it was important to the community as it was the main meeting place for the Commonwealth co-ordination committee, who helped organise the first St Paul’s carnival. The building is now the St Paul’s community centre with his mural on the wall
84
What did Dolores Campbell do
She was the first female member of the Commonwealth Co-ordinated committee and a foster carer for 30 children
85
What nickname was given to Owen Henry and why
The Mayor of St Paul’s because him and Clifford Drummond set up a travel company which chartered flights to allow immigrants to visit their home countries. He was also one of the founders of the Commonwealth co-ordinated committee, helped to found the St Pauls Carnival and was also one of the key people in the Bristol Bus Boycott.
86
What happened to the mural of Roy Hackett
It was stripped away to allow building be done on the house. Hackett was one of the primary organisers of the Bristol Bus Boycott
87
What was the British Raj
The British Raj was a period of direct British rule in India from 1858 to 1947, after the EIC was removed from power

History year 8 (5 decks)

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