Imperialist Ideas Flashcards
(21 cards)
how did people learn about the empire
friends or relatives who had emigrated or served
churches
cinema and the press
how the empire was promoted by the government - Empire marketing board
set up in 1926 by Leo Amery
promoted the consumption of items produced in the empire through posters and advertising campaigns
became active in the 1930s due to Great Depression
placed Britain at top of racial hierarchies
mainly the rich who bought into it
how the empire was promoted by the government - Wembley exhibition 1924
1924
government paid half of the 2.2 million
advertised every country from the empire
sports stadium became the permanent legacy
displays of ethnic villages
17 million visitor 1924 and 9 million in 1925
how the empire was promoted by the government - Glasgow exhibition
1938
12 million visitors
chance to boost scottish economy after depression
mass marketing campaigns perhaps showing decreasing support as government had to resort to such measures
promotion of empire - BBC
established in 1923
took a strong pro-imperial stance and covered as many major imperial events as impossible
christmas broadcasts including kings speech and items from empire
BUT many did not have a TV
promotion of empire - education
focal point of teaching for geography and history
literature studied pro-imperial writers like Rudyard Kipling
promotion of empire - universities
professorships in Imperial history were created
important in training of colonial servants
London University’s school of oriental and african studies 1917
promotion of empire - literature and film
children - books by G.A. Henry remained popular
emergence of cinema as mass entertainment
films like Sanders of the River used the empire as an exotic background for adventure, signalling to the public that Empire was a place of excitement
promotion of empire - composers and missionaries
Edward Elgar conducted mass choirs at the 1924 Empire exhibition - ‘Land of Hope and Glory’
former missionaries spoke in churches and their experiences
promotion of empire - commercial advertising
co operative whole sale society celebrated global and imperial links in advertising
supply of tea = contained packets of collectible cards illustrating places in the empire
representations of the empire
mass media changed the ways empire was represented
Jingoism lost its attraction after horrors of WW1 , Empire became a ‘family of nations’ led by the British
after WW2, films like ‘West Indies Calling’ stressed the need for tolerance and understanding of ethnicities in the empire
Empire day movement
created a sense of belonging
celebrate throughout empire
people wore cultural outfits
on Queen Victorias bday = May 24th
impact on gender
empire was a male enterprise
gendered expectations were created in Britain e.g. brave and unemotional
shown through literature and cinema
creation of male only public schools
extent of imperialist ideas
just because there was lots of pro imperial propaganda does not prove it had an influence
some argue that such strenuous efforts were made to promote it as so many were uninterested
different due to social classes - not all shared same values or outlook, or had same degree of contact with empire
evidence people did not support empire
Co Op and empire marketing board were expensive and many could not afford this, especially due to WW1 and 2
only middle class/rich read
idea of colonial identity
cannot be measured
colonialisation affected the way people saw themselves and the world
British adopted deliberate policies, often aimed at civilising those using British ideas both culturally and economically
some people cooperated in the hope of benefitting from new opportunities and others resisted, not accepting foreign culture
colonial identity - how people acted towards the british
dictated by the way they had been treated
those in areas who had enjoyed economic growth and prosperity tended to see themselves positively
colonial identity - impact of Social darwinism
different ethnic groups received different treatments
White Australians had different experiences to aboriginals
In Africa and India different groups were often given different characteristics and sought out for certain jobs e.g. Indian Sikhs recruited into Imperial Police forces used in other colonies
colonial identity - attachments to Britain
support given by Empire and Dominions in both world wars
Coronation of George VI in 1937 was widely celebrated - 23 hours of continuous broadcast in Canada
Empire day movement
millions listened to monarchs christmas speech
how were workers affected by empire
the press and books
empire day
experience of fighting in the wars
cinema - cheap and accessible
goods from empire were more expensive
impacted by depression
concerns of welfare state
how were middle class affected
radio and the BBC
education in universities about empire
empire marketing board
personal connections
sports - rugby and cricket
exhibitions
international developments e.g. communism, nazism
Great Depression
