Impact of Empire - The Social and Political Impact

Question 1

Who benefited from slavery and empire?

Answer 1

People across all social classes in Britain benefited from the system, not just rich financiers

Question 2

What were the economic impacts of the empire on Britain?

Answer 2

The empire brought new commodities from Asia and the Americas to Britain, creating employment opportunities as plantations and EIC bases expanded.

Question 3

What role did British workshops play in the expansion of the empire?

Answer 3

British workshops received increasing orders as plantations in the Americas and EIC bases in India expanded.

Question 4

What materials were used in the production of tools for plantations?

Answer 4

Tools used on the plantations were made in Britain, using copper, brass, and bronze items from Wales, the Midlands, and the north-west.

Question 5

How were British workers directly involved in the violence of empire and enslavement?

Answer 5

British workers in Birmingham produced guns used by the navy and traded on the West African coast, while Wolverhampton and towns in the Black Country made the chains used on enslaved people.

Question 6

What goods were exported across the Atlantic from Britain?

Answer 6

Clothing, furniture, glassware, beer, spirits, textiles, ropes, candles, books, pots, and more were exported, providing jobs for various craftsmen and merchants.

Question 7

How did British exports support plantation workers in North America?

Answer 7

Somerset fishermen sold dried and salted herring and cod as food for enslaved plantation workers in North America.

Question 8

What professions benefited from business organization for the eastern trade and western enslavement system?

Answer 8

Clerks, accountants, administrators, lawyers, clergymen, doctors, and managers found opportunities in banking, insurance, trading, and colonial administration.

Question 9

What was the demand for in shipbuilding?

Answer 9

The demand for timber, sail cloth, and other materials in shipbuilding created employment opportunities across Britain.

Question 10

What were the three main slave ports in Britain?

Answer 10

Bristol, Liverpool, and London were the main slave ports in Britain.

Question 11

What was the significance of these ports?

Answer 11

These ports served as bases for slave ships and became extremely wealthy as a result of the transatlantic slave trade.

Question 12

What evidence of the slave trade can still be found in these ports?

Answer 12

Even today, evidence of the slave trade can still be found in these ports from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Question 13

What geographical advantage did Bristol have for the slave trade?

Answer 13

Bristol’s natural harbor and proximity to the Atlantic made it a major center for ships sailing to West Africa and returning from the Caribbean loaded with sugar.

Question 14

What were some of the economic activities associated with the slave trade in Bristol?

Answer 14

Bristol had many “sugar houses” where sugar was refined, made into “sugar loaves,” and stored before being distributed to shops.

Question 15

What significant buildings were constructed in Bristol during the peak of the slave trade?

Answer 15

Between 1700 and 1718, houses in Queen Square were built for some of Bristol’s wealthiest slave traders, many of whom were closely involved with banking and insurance companies located in nearby Corn Street.

Question 16

What was Liverpool’s status by the end of the eighteenth century?

Answer 16

Liverpool had become the world’s leading slave port by the end of the eighteenth century.

Question 17

What was the significance of the port of Liverpool in the slave trade?

Answer 17

The port of Liverpool was crucial for shipping, serving as a hub for trade between Britain, West Africa, the Caribbean, and North America.

Question 18

How did prominent slave traders contribute to Liverpool’s development?

Answer 18

Many streets in Liverpool are named after prominent slave traders who financed ships transporting enslaved individuals, engaged in slave-produced commodities like tobacco, and invested in slave-trading ships.

Question 19

Who was Sir Thomas Johnson, and what were his contributions to Liverpool?

Answer 19

Sir Thomas Johnson, sometimes called ‘the father of Liverpool,’ was the city’s mayor in 1695. He financed ships transporting enslaved individuals to sugar plantations, was involved in slave-produced tobacco, and was responsible for building the world’s first commercial wet dock in Liverpool in 1715.

Question 20

What is the significance of the Blue Coat Hospital in Liverpool’s history?

Answer 20

The Blue Coat Hospital, now an Arts Centre, was founded in 1708 as a charity providing education for very poor children. It was funded by Bryan Blundell, a merchant and sea captain involved in transporting enslaved individuals and investing in slave-trading ships.

Question 21

How did funds from the slave trade contribute to the construction of the Blue Coat Hospital?

Answer 21

Money earned from the slave trade, including investments in slave-trading ships, contributed to the construction of the Blue Coat Hospital in Liverpool between 1717 and 1725.

Question 22

What was London’s role in the slave trade during most of the period?

Answer 22

London served as the main slave port for most of the period

Question 23

How did London’s major institutions benefit from the slave trade?

Answer 23

Many of London’s major institutions initially accumulated wealth from the slave trade. For example, the royal family profited from the Royal African Company monopoly, and funds from the transportation and sale of Africans helped finance the sumptuous state apartments in Windsor Castle.

Question 24

How did wealth from the slave trade contribute to the establishment of prominent public bodies?

Answer 24

Wealth generated from the slave trade played a significant role in the establishment of well-known public bodies. For instance, Sir Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, married into a wealthy Jamaican slave-owning family, while Thomas Guy, founder of Guy’s Hospital, made himself extremely rich through shares in the South Sea Company, which had ties to the slave trade.

Question 25

What was the significance of Sir Hans Sloane and Thomas Guy in London's history?

Answer 25

Sir Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, and Thomas Guy, founder of Guy's Hospital, were both philanthropists who gave large sums for the benefit of others, but their wealth originated from the labor of enslaved Africans on Caribbean plantations.

Question 26

Besides Bristol, Liverpool, and London, which other ports were involved in the slave trade?

Answer 26

Smaller ports like Whitehaven, Lancaster, Topsham near Exeter, and Dartmouth also sent out slave ships.

Question 27

What happened after the end of the Royal African Company monopoly in 1698?

Answer 27

After the end of the Royal African Company monopoly, individuals like Isaac Milner from Whitehaven sent out slaving ships from London and Whitehaven, and nearby Lancaster later became a key slaving port.

Question 28

What rebellion occurred on a slaving ship in 1699, and where did it come from?

Answer 28

In 1699, enslaved Africans rebelled on a ship called the Dragon, which had come from Topsham near Exeter.

Question 29

How were enslavement, conquest, trade, and the living conditions of the British interconnected?

Answer 29

Enslavement, conquest, trade, and the living conditions of the British were closely linked. As British people gained more spending power, they could purchase goods like sugar, tobacco, tea, and spices, deepening the system's entrenchment and dependence on plantations and the India trade.

Question 30

How did the slave trade affect British society as a whole?

Answer 30

Although only a relatively few people were making huge amounts of money from the slave trade, everyone was affected, involved, and profited to some extent.

Question 31

How did coffee houses impact British social and political life?

Answer 31

Coffee houses, where people engaged in heated debates, business deals, and discussions of political issues, transformed social and political life in late seventeenth-century Britain.

Question 32

What was the significance of coffee in British social and political circles?

Answer 32

Coffee, brought from Arabia by merchant ships of the East India Company, became a catalyst for socializing, conducting business, and exchanging ideas in coffee houses, akin to the social media of the time.

Question 33

How did coffee houses contribute to political discourse?

Answer 33

Many key political issues of the time, such as the war in Ireland, union with Scotland, the Royal African Company monopoly, or investigations into East India Company corruption, were intensely discussed in coffee houses, compelling politicians to respond and justify themselves.

Question 34

How prevalent were coffee houses in London during the period?

Answer 34

London had more coffee houses than any other city in the world except Istanbul. In 1734, a street survey counted 551 licensed coffee houses, with many more unlicensed ones.

Question 35

What important institutions originated in coffee houses?

Answer 35

The Bank of England and Lloyd's Insurance Company began at Edward Lloyd's coffee house on Tower Street, and the London Stock Exchange started as a list of commodity prices at Jonathan's in Exchange Alley. Additionally, Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses both originated in coffee houses.

Question 36

What notable figures frequented coffee houses?

Answer 36

Great scientists like Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley were regulars at the Grecian on the Strand, showcasing the intellectual atmosphere of coffee houses.

Question 37

What controversial practice occurred in some coffee houses?

Answer 37

Enslaved Africans were also sold at some coffee houses, highlighting the dark side of their history in British society.

Question 38

What were the two main political parties that emerged after the Glorious Revolution?

Answer 38

The TORY party represented the landowning gentry, while the WHIG party represented the growing class of wealthy merchants.

Question 39

How did the Tory and Whig parties evolve over time?

Answer 39

The Tory party later developed into the modern Conservative Party, while the Whig party evolved into the Liberal Party and the modern Liberal Democrats.

Question 40

Who did King William III and Queen Anne include in their governments?

Answer 40

King William III and Queen Anne included members from both the Tory and Whig parties in their governments.

Question 41

What characterized the political landscape during this period in terms of voting rights?

Answer 41

Only wealthy men had the right to vote during this period, while the vast majority of men and all women were denied a say in governance.

Question 42

How did coffee houses contribute to the dissemination of information and political discourse?

Answer 42

Coffee houses served as venues for discussing pamphlets, broadsheets, magazines, and newspapers, with each political party having its own paper. These papers were read by about a hundred people in the coffee houses.

Question 43

What role did broadsheets and coffee houses play in shaping political and intellectual freedom?

Answer 43

Broadsheets and coffee houses facilitated the spread of new ideas about freedoms of thought and belief, contributing to the beginnings of today's ideas of political and intellectual freedom and human rights.

Question 44

What conflict arose during this period regarding individual freedom and capitalism?

Answer 44

While there was a push for greater liberty for certain social classes, the increase in trade led to greater exploitation of poorer people in Britain and colonized people in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, creating a conflict between notions of individual freedom and the growth of capitalism and colonial exploitation.

Question 45

How did the popularity of coffee spread across social classes?

Answer 45

The craze for coffee spread across social classes, with coffee houses becoming relatively cheap places where people, mainly men, could spend their time.

Question 46

What was the reaction to the growing popularity of coffee among women?

Answer 46

In 1672, there was a 'women's petition' against the 'Excessive use of that Newfangled, Abominable, Heathenish Liquor called COFFEE,' which was believed to make men lazy and sexually impotent.

Question 47

What concerns did the women express in their petition against coffee?

Answer 47

The women claimed that coffee made men as unfruitful as sandy deserts and diverted husbands' attention from their duties at home.

Question 48

How did coffee houses accommodate different social behaviors?

Answer 48

While more genteel coffee houses did not allow alcohol, many became places of extreme drinking. However, all coffee houses served as meeting places for exchanging ideas, arguing, and making deals.

Question 49

What was the common purpose of all coffee houses?

Answer 49

Regardless of their clientele or atmosphere, all coffee houses served as places where people could meet, exchange ideas, argue, and conduct business.

Question 50

Who were Moll King and Tom King, and what was their coffee house known for?

Answer 50

Moll King, whose real name was Elizabeth Adkins, and her husband Tom King operated a coffee house in Covent Garden known for attracting customers of all classes, including writers like Alexander Pope, John Gay, and Henry Fielding.

Question 51

What was Moll King's background before she became involved in running the coffee house?

Answer 51

Moll King, also known as Elizabeth Adkins, was a well-known thief and prostitute who worked as a pickpocket for underworld boss Jonathan Wild and was involved in the sex trade under the name Maria Godson.

Question 52

What criminal activities was Moll King involved in during her lifetime?

Answer 52

Moll King was involved in various criminal activities, including theft, prostitution, and loan sharking, which led to her spending time in prison on multiple occasions.

Question 53

How was Moll King connected to the literary world?

Answer 53

Moll King's coffee house attracted writers like Alexander Pope, John Gay, and Henry Fielding

Question 54

What is the legacy of Moll King?

Answer 54

Moll King's life story, although mainly known from court records, has inspired speculation and literary works, including the possibility that Daniel Defoe's fictional character Moll Flanders was based on her. She died in London in 1747, leaving enough money for her son to be educated at Eton College.

Question 55

How did the empire influence consumer habits?

Answer 55

The empire influenced consumer habits by facilitating the exchange of goods between different regions. For example, teapots made by Chinese potters for Chinese clients ended up in Europe, likely transported by ships belonging to the East India Company or the Dutch East India Company.

Question 56

How did the East India Company and the Dutch East India Company contribute to the spread of goods?

Answer 56

The East India Company and the Dutch East India Company played significant roles in transporting goods between regions, facilitating the exchange of products like the teapots mentioned in the text.

Question 57

What impact did the exchange of goods facilitated by the empire have on consumer habits?

Answer 57

The exchange of goods facilitated by the empire led to the adoption of new products and styles by consumers in different regions, influencing their habits and preferences.

Question 58

What were the two effects of the Asian trade on life in Britain?

Answer 58

The two effects of the Asian trade on life in Britain were the popularity of Asian styles and the widespread adoption of Asian commodities such as tea, furniture, and porcelain.

Question 59

What was the significance of the arrival of tea from China in Britain?

Answer 59

The arrival of tea from China in Britain marked its introduction as a luxury item for the wealthy. It became popular in high society, consumed with hot water only and without milk.

Question 60

How did Indian textiles influence British fashion and furnishing styles?

Answer 60

Indian textiles, featuring designs blending European plants and ornaments with Asian styles, had a significant impact on dress and furnishing styles in Britain. These designs were popular in the western market, as seen in the bed cover in Source 22, which was made in India but incorporated western elements.

Question 61

How did the Atlantic trade impact consumer habits in Britain?

Answer 61

The Atlantic trade introduced commodities like sugar, tea, coffee, chocolate, and tobacco to Britain, which became items of mass consumption among ordinary people, driving the economy towards a consumer society.

Question 62

What role did sugar play in the Atlantic trade's impact on consumer habits?

Answer 62

Sugar from Caribbean slave plantations was used to sweeten hot drinks like tea, coffee, and chocolate. It also led to the rise of sweet confectionery in upmarket shops, contributing to the growing demand for sugar.

Question 63

How did the increase in demand for commodities like sugar and tobacco affect plantation owners?

Answer 63

The increase in demand for sugar and tobacco led plantation owners to buy more enslaved people to work in the fields, resulting in the expansion of the slave trade and the exploitation of enslaved laborers in terrible conditions.

Question 64

How did the increase in demand affect prices of commodities like tobacco?

Answer 64

As demand for commodities like tobacco increased, prices went down, making them more affordable to a wider population. For example, the price of tobacco decreased from about 30 shillings per pound in 1600 to half a shilling per pound by the 1680s.

Question 65

What impact did the availability of tobacco and sugar have on British society?

Answer 65

Tobacco and sugar, once considered exotic luxuries, became items of mass consumption accessible to ordinary people, contributing to the emergence of a consumer society in Britain.

Question 66

How did the exploitation of labor contribute to the rise of consumerism in Britain?

Answer 66

The rise of consumerism in Britain was made possible by the exploitation of forced, unpaid labor of enslaved African people in the Americas and poorly paid labor of merchant seamen on the trade routes, which increased demand and profits.

Question 67

How did Britain's growing empire affect attitudes towards colonized people?

Answer 67

Britain's growing empire led to the dehumanization of colonized people, particularly Africans, who were portrayed as inferior and less human despite belonging to highly developed societies.

Question 68

How were Africans depicted during the era of British colonization?

Answer 68

Africans were dehumanized and portrayed as 'stateless' and inferior beings, deemed to be of a 'lower', less intelligent species and therefore not part of the 'moral community' of humanity.

Question 69

What was the irony regarding the attitudes towards Africans and their actual skills?

Answer 69

Despite being portrayed as inferior, Africans were given work on plantations that demanded considerable skill, highlighting the contradiction in the dehumanizing attitudes towards them.

Question 70

How did those involved in the chattel slave trade justify their actions?

Answer 70

Those involved in the chattel slave trade selectively quoted texts from the Bible to support their actions, conveniently ignoring other passages that opposed slavery.

Question 71

What is Plantocracy racism, and what was it based on?

Answer 71

Plantocracy racism claimed that there were natural differences between Africans and Europeans, primarily based on skin color. It led to the ideology of classifying 'people of color' as inferior to White Europeans, shifting the basis of classification from family, culture, and religion to racial theories about skin color.

Question 72

What were the reasons for the spread of racist ideas among plantation owners?

Answer 72

Racist ideas took hold among plantation owners due to the drive for wealth and profit, their involvement in the slave trade, and the desire to prevent united rebellion by indentured and enslaved people.

Question 73

How did racist ideas serve the interests of plantation owners?

Answer 73

Racist ideas helped plantation owners identify White workers with their owners and separate them from their Black fellow-workers, thereby maintaining control and preventing potential unity among laborers.

Question 74

What historical events and movements were occurring simultaneously with the spread of racist ideas?

Answer 74

Simultaneously with the spread of racist ideas, ideas of personal liberty were growing in Britain, highlighted by the 1689 Toleration Act allowing freedom of worship to nonconformist Protestants. Additionally, the Enlightenment challenged old ideas about the physical and natural world, and the anti-slavery tradition in England was gaining momentum.

Question 75

How did scientific developments contribute to the reinforcement of racist ideology?

Answer 75

In 1735, the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus classified humanity into four 'races,' describing Europeans as 'active, acute and adventurous' and Africans as 'crafty, lazy and careless.' These ideas, along with others, influenced European and North American thinking for centuries, providing false 'scientific' backing to racism. However, scientists today generally agree that separating humans into 'races' makes no biological sense, as we are one human race.

Question 76

How did racist ideology impact the lives of Black people in Britain during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries?

Answer 76

In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, relatively small numbers of Africans in England lived alongside the wider population, with Black servants treated similarly to White servants and Black artisans working alongside White craftspeople.

Question 77

How did the relationship between enslavement and freedom evolve in Britain from the late seventeenth century onwards?

Answer 77

From the late seventeenth century onwards, the relationship between enslavement and freedom became more complicated as increasing numbers of Black women and men arrived from the Americas as enslaved property, leading to ambiguity regarding their legal status and treatment in Britain.

Question 78

What was the legal status of Black people living in Britain during the period of the slave trade?

Answer 78

Although it was widely assumed that Black people living in Britain were free, their legal status was unclear, with some owners treating Africans who worked for them as their property. Racial attitudes persisted, leading to views of Indians as inferior or less intelligent.

Question 79

How did opposition to slavery manifest in Britain during the period of the slave trade?

Answer 79

Despite the prevalence of slavery, opposition to the system began to emerge, as reflected in the publication of pamphlets attacking slavery on moral grounds, demonstrating that there was opposition to the system, even though it would be more than 100 years before slavery was legally abolished.

Question 80

What historical event is referred to as the 'Glorious Revolution'?

Answer 80

The 'Glorious Revolution' refers to the arrival of William III and Mary II in 1688, orchestrated by Whig politicians who viewed it as a settlement between the monarchy and the people that allowed trade to flourish.

Question 81

How did the years after 1688 impact various regions and people?

Answer 81

The years after 1688 brought profound changes economically, socially, and politically to everyone in the British Isles and beyond, shaping many aspects of the modern world. These changes affected regions such as England, Ireland, Scotland, West Africa, Bengal, Barbados, and Virginia differently, with some benefiting while others lost out.

Question 82

What disagreement exists among historians regarding the 'Glorious Revolution'?

Answer 82

Historians disagree over whether the changes brought about by the 'Glorious Revolution' were positive or negative and whether the revolution itself was truly 'glorious'. This disagreement stems from differing interpretations of the period's impact on individual liberty, freedom from absolute monarchy, and the rise of capitalism.

Question 83

Why was the Glorious Revolution considered glorious according to some interpretations?

Answer 83

Some consider the Glorious Revolution to be glorious because it ended monarchs' absolute power, paving the way for the elected parliamentary system and democratic freedoms enjoyed today.

Question 84

What economic benefits did capitalism bring to the wider British population?

Answer 84

Capitalism brought economic benefits to the wider British population through competitive trade, a flourishing private sector, and the growth of enterprise, leading to job creation and improvements in the quality of life for many.

Question 85

How did capitalism contribute to advancements in various fields?

Answer 85

Profits gained by banks and private businesses through capitalism were invested in scientific research, universities, and engineering, contributing to advancements such as the Industrial Revolution and improvements in health and sanitation.

Question 86

What peace did the Glorious Revolution bring?

Answer 86

The Glorious Revolution brought peace by putting an end to the civil wars and religious conflicts that plagued England in the past, allowing for stability and progress.

Question 87

How did the Glorious Revolution benefit commerce?

Answer 87

The new settlement resulting from the Glorious Revolution allowed for freedom to trade and colonize the Caribbean, paving the way for a flourishing economic system that became the foundation of global business practices.

Question 88

Why was the Glorious Revolution not considered glorious according to some interpretations?

Answer 88

According to some interpretations, the Glorious Revolution was not considered glorious because the freedoms it brought were only available to rich men who could vote, and most people in Britain did not gain the right to vote until over two centuries later through protest and political action.

Question 89

Who were the primary beneficiaries of the Glorious Revolution?

Answer 89

The primary beneficiaries of the Glorious Revolution were the wealthy elite, leading to a widening wealth gap between the rich and the poor, as capitalism concentrated wealth in the hands of a few while the majority had to work for wages.

Question 90

How did the business model for the Industrial Revolution contribute to exploitation?

Answer 90

The business model for the Industrial Revolution relied on slave plantations, where millions of workers, including children, were exploited in appalling conditions, with improvements in health, housing, and sanitation for the majority coming much later and requiring advocacy and activism.

Question 91

What were the consequences of the Glorious Revolution for Scotland and Ireland?

Answer 91

The Glorious Revolution brought the European war to Scotland and Ireland, resulting in significant loss of life and English takeover of those countries, leading to deep-rooted problems that persist to this day, particularly for the Scots and Irish.

Question 92

How did the new freedoms for private businesses contribute to negative outcomes?

Answer 92

The new freedoms for private businesses resulting from the Glorious Revolution allowed for the massive growth of systems of transportation and slave plantations, leading to the accumulation of wealth based on the enslavement of Africans and the plunder of India, with detrimental consequences for people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including racism, war, and colonialism.