Evidence of Imperial Culture

Question 1

What were the main two forms of drama types in the C19th? How did they lend themselves to colonialism?

Answer 1

Melodrama and Spectacle
Melodrama - concerned itself with differences in race
Spectacle - concerned itself with grand and exotic display e.g. that of imperial events and campaigns

Question 2

In what play did the popular actor Henry Irving perform in 1860?

Answer 2

The Indian Revolt

Question 3

Name some examples of imperial plays between the 1880s-1890s?

Answer 3

The Raid on the Transvaal
The Great Mogul
The Cape Mail
The Cousin from Australia

Question 4

Which pantomime in 1882 featured the British bombardment of Alexandria?

Answer 4

Sinbad the Sailor

Question 5

Which two sources of the illustrated press documented key imperial events? Give some examples of events documented

Answer 5

The Illustrated London News or The Graphic

The Indian Mutiny, the death of David Livingstone or the death of Gordon in Khartoum 1885

Question 6

How was the royal family transformed into an imperial symbol?

Answer 6

Victoria became Empress of India in 1875 and her strength and values became associated with the empire and civilising it

Question 7

Which colonial themed book did Anthony Trollope write in 1869?

Answer 7

Phineas Finn

Question 8

Name a popular child’s author at the end of the C19th whose works focussed on empire. Name an example of a book he wrote

Answer 8

G.A. Henty

‘True as Steel’

Question 9

How did advertisers contribute to the development of an imperial culture?

Answer 9

They associated products e.g. cigarettes or tea with parts of the empire in order to encourage people to buy them

Question 10

What was the most popular medium of entertainment in the late C19th in Britain? Whose jingo song featured in this after 1878?

Answer 10

Music Halls

MacDermott

Question 11

Which war marked a dramatic explosion in public fervour for imperialism?

Answer 11

The Second Boer War

Question 12

Which historian firmly believes that the empire permeated British culture?

Answer 12

John MacKenzie

Question 13

When was the Hyde Park exhibition opened? How many visitors did it receive? How could it show an impact of empire on the metropole?

Answer 13

1851 - 6m visitors

Included industrial products from the empire on display

Question 14

When was the South Kensington exhibition?

Answer 14

1862

Question 15

When was the London ‘Colonial and Indian’ exhibition opened? What is this a wider example of?

Answer 15

1886

Example of the growing imperial exhibitions towards the end of the C19th

Question 16

How could compulsory education for 5-10 year olds from 1880 have contributed to developing an imperial culture?

Answer 16

Ideas of race and images of Empire featured heavily in the reading material for these children

Question 17

Where was the emphasis on taught history placed from 1890?

Answer 17

On the creation of an Anglo-Saxon Identity as well as Elizabethan history (discoveries of Francis Drake)

Question 18

Why were racial attitudes promoted in education in the late C19th?

Answer 18

So as to develop unity amongst all British classes

Question 19

Which group were particularly keen readers of imperial books?

Answer 19

Young People

Question 20

What values did historical novels generally reinforce?

Answer 20

Valiant, military characteristics

Question 21

When was empire day introduced? When did it officially become an annual event?

Answer 21

1902 introduced

1916 became an official annual event

Question 22

What happened on Empire Day? Which organisation led festivities on this day, even during WW1?

Answer 22

Children sang patriotic songs and listened to pro-imperial speeches. They received a half-day so they could be sent home early for parties and concerts.

Led by the “Empire Day Movement”

Question 23

When was Boy Scouts introduced? Girl Guides?

Answer 23

1907 = Boy Scouts
1910 = Girl Guides

Question 24

Which Christian organisation was inspired by the likes of imperial explorers such as Livingstone? When was it founded?

Answer 24

Salvation Army (1878)

Question 25

When did Geographical societies, often concerned with imperial lands, begin developing in England?

Answer 25

1870s and 1880s

Question 26

How did photography help develop an imperial culture?

Answer 26

Helped to circulate real life images of empire in advertising, magazines and postcards

Question 27

Name an example of a postcard with imperial images.

Answer 27

Commemorative postcard celebrating the contribution of British colonies in WW1

Question 28

Which event in 1902 led to popular celebrations in Britain?

Answer 28

The relief of the Siege of Mafeking (Second Boer War)

Question 29

Why is the 1900 election sometimes used as evidence of an imperial culture?

Answer 29

Because the conservatives managed to win the election after stigmatising the Liberals as pro-Boers

Question 30

Why does John MacKenzie argue that the empire gained increasing visibility during the inter-war period?

Answer 30

As a result of increasing and improving propaganda, literature, news and exhibitions. Likewise, personal connections to empire were increasing with employment in colonial lands or emigration to dominions

Question 31

When was the Empire Resettlement Act passed? By 1936, how many emigrants had travelled to the colonies?

Answer 31

1922 405,230 emigrants

Question 32

When was the imperial Wembley Exhibition opened? How many visitors did it attract in the first year?

Answer 32

1924 | Attracted 27m visitors

Question 33

How many visitors was the Imperial Institute receiving a year by the 1930s?

Answer 33

1m

Question 34

What was the role of the Empire Marketing Board established in 1926?

Answer 34

To publish booklets, pamphlets and postcards to do with empire. These encouraged the purchase of imperial goods too.

Question 35

How did BBC broadcasting contribute to imperialist culture?

Answer 35

- It held some programs abot colonial development e.g. Empire Day programmes - From 1932, Christmas programmes were begun with contributions from colonies - During WW2, there were a few festivals of Empire broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall

Question 36

How manu people possessed wireless licences by 1939?

Answer 36

9m

Question 37

What was the popular imperial feature film released in 1939?

Answer 37

Gunga Din

Question 38

Which cinema produced documentaries on empire for schoolchildren?

Answer 38

The Imperial Institute Cinema

Question 39

How did WW2 change popular attitudes towards imperialism? How is this still evidence of an imperial culture?

Answer 39

- Made the idea that Britons were racially superior seem somewhat anachronistic - Made many Britons reject the idea of sending fighting men off to combat colonial nationalism Demonstrates some anti-imperialism which is still indicative of the empire affecting political culture

Question 40

Who said in 1957 that "We should take our place where we know we most belong i.e. in Europe with our immediate neighbours"?

Answer 40

Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd

Question 41

How could the election of a Labour government in 1945 be evidence of strong anti-imperialism?

Answer 41

The Labour government was committed to Indian independence whereas the Conservative party wasn't

Question 42

How did Gandhi gain some British sympathy during the Round Table Conferences 1930-32?

Answer 42

He gained an audience with King George V and visited mill workers in Lancarshire. This gained him significant publicity to garner public support.

Question 43

What was the British response to the Amritsar massacre?

Answer 43

Public outcry which forced General Dyer to retire.

Question 44

Which Chariman of the Independent Labour Party argued that working class imperialism distracted the working class from "real issues" in the 1890s? How is this evidence of imperial culture?

Answer 44

``` Keir Hardie Indicates that he thought popular jingoism amongst the working class was a problem and hence, empire had greatly impacted them. ```

Question 45

What was the result of international opposition to British methods in the Second Boer War back home? Who drew up an anti-imperialist poster titled "Stop the War"?

Answer 45

Anti-imperialist views grew somewhat | Walter Crane drew the "Stop the War" poster from 1900

Question 46

Which anti-imperialist historian believed that popular jingoism was widespread in the late C19th?

Answer 46

John Hobson

Question 47

Which historian has argued that many working class men volunteered to fight in the Boer War?

Answer 47

Richard Price

Question 48

The death of which general in 1885 turned him into a national symbol of Christ-like sacrifice?

Answer 48

General Gordon

Question 49

What was the Times Newspaper's response to the Indian Mutiny? Which massacre received particularly large attention?

Answer 49

It called for widespread retribution for the mutineers Cawnpore Massacre

Question 50

What was the response of the British politicians and public to Governor Eyre's Morant Bay repression?

Answer 50

Large outcry The Jamaica Committee was organised in December 1865 to oversee the government's response and to try and get Eyre prosecuted.

Question 51

How did the number of British troops in Canada change between 1841-56? What could this be evidence of in the mid-19th century?

Answer 51

Fell from 16,000 to 2,800 | Potential evidence of anti-imperialism

Question 52

What films did London Films release in 1936-39 as part of their so-called "imperial trilogy"?

Answer 52

Sanders of the River The Drum The Four Feathers

Question 53

When was the popular film Zulu released?

Answer 53

1964

Question 54

Which historian argues that imperialist attitudes were instilled through schools in the late C19th, although particularly in the 150 Public Schools in England?

Answer 54

Robert Pearce

Question 55

When did Buchan write the Thirty Nine Steps book series? How did they promote imperialism?

Answer 55

Between 1915-1936 Action stories about a gentleman hero (Hannay = former officer in Rhodesia) fighting off malignant vilains in foreign countries. They encouraged racial assumptions (such as social darwinism) to not be questioned.

Question 56

How did Cecil Rhodes explain the reason for many Imperialists in England in 1899?

Answer 56

"The people of England are finding out that 'trade follows the flag' and they have all become imperialists"

Question 57

When was the daily mail founded? Daily express? Who was their target audience?

Answer 57

Daily Mail - 1896 Daily Express - 1900 Designed for lower-middle classes

Question 58

What did the Daily Express declare in its first leader?

Answer 58

"Our policy is patriotic, our policy is the British Empire"

Question 59

Whose study of children's literature in the late Victorian period has shown that it was steeped in imperialist themes?

Answer 59

Michael Paris

Question 60

When was the Chums magazine created for schoolboys? What was its aim?

Answer 60

1892 | To link virility with the defence of Empire

Question 61

Whose study has shown that the lower-middle classes were enthusiastic about joining in the Second-Boer War through patriotism?

Answer 61

Richard Price

Question 62

What was Robert Baden Powell regarded as during the Second Boer War?

Answer 62

the "Hero of Mafeking"

Question 63

What was done to commemorate Gordon's death in Sudan in 1885?

Answer 63

Gordon Boys' Clubs opened and over 25 books (and many more pamphlets) were written in his glory

Question 64

Who wrote "Heart of Darkness" in 1899? With whose other work does this relate?

Answer 64

Joseph Conrad | Relates to Orwell's "Burmese Days" (1934) which criticise the corruption and immorality of Empire.

Question 65

Which children's author, whose works were explicitly related to empire, preceded G.A.Henty?

Answer 65

W.G.H Kingston

Question 66

Who wrote King Solomon's Mine in 1885? How does it depict empire?

Answer 66

Rider Haggard Depicts the Englishmen in Empire as civilising e.g. removing witch hunts and potrays those natives who accept these civilising actions with sympathy