chapter 9: trade and commerce Flashcards
How much was India worth in exports by 1914?
India was worth about 20% of Britain’s total exports, which amounted to £150 million worth of business by 1914
What percentage of beef and wheat did Britain supply by 1914?
Canada supplied 10% of Britain’s beef and 15% of wheat by 1914
The Imperial Federation League
The imperial federation league was set up in 1884 to promote closer colonial ties was disbanded in 1893 which reflected a waning interest in the Empires commercial importance.
Evidence that Britains trade with the Empire was less than outside the Empire?
Britain’s total trade was worth £745 million but trade with the Empire was only worth £183 million.
What percentage did trade with Tropical Africa amount to?
In 1897, the whole of Tropical Africa only amounted to 1.2% of British exports.
What did anti-imperialists argue about trade with the Empire?
Anti-imperialists argued that the Empire cost middle class people more than it benefitted them. The cost of imperial defence also amounted to higher taxes and it was blamed for British failure to modernise its industry. In addition, the imports of food served to undermine domestic production.
Give an example of Britain failing to modernise its industry?
Britain lagged behind in chemical and as a result of poor investment and productivity. For example, whilst Britain was relying upon rubber production from Africa and Asia, the French, Germans and Russians had all started creating synthetic rubber from 1910.
By 1914, Britain had invested how much in relation to France and Germany?
By 1914, the British had invested twice the amount of the French and three times that of Germany overseas.
How much did British investment increase by?
Although British investment doubled from £2 billion to £4 billion between 1900-1913 not all of this was in the Empire and a large amount of it was in invisibles.
The Colonial Loans Act 1899 and Colonial Stocks act 1900
facilitated a number of infrastructure projects which included rail links to the interior of Africa by the Ports of Lagos and Mombasa.
Joseph Chamberlain
Conservative colonial secretary convened the 1902 London Colonial conference for leaders of Britain and the self governing white settler colonies. Chamberlain believed that this would give a boost to imperial trade through mutual customs agreements and protective tariffs in the form of imperial preference. However, voters in the 1906 General election overwhelmingly favoured Liberals free trade .
what did some dominions such as Australia do to protect national interests over Britain?
Countries such as Australia set up import tariffs to protect national interests over loyalties to Britain.
How was trade impacted in India?
In India British textiles and goods were boycotted and burned in the street as the Swadeshi movement sought to undermine the Raj in the years after 1905
