a) What had caused the growth of the British Empire before 1857?
● American colonies like United States and Canada had caused growth however loss of these prompted ‘Swing to the East’ as prominent historian Vincent Harlow had put it. o Concept that explained a shift of British imperial priorities to India, Asia, Africa and the East > Western hemisphere with more desire for trade rather than conquest and control ● Slave trade had led to growth in control in Africa ● Mercantilist policies that benefitted Britain over its colonies b) What were the territories of the British Empire in 1857? ● Much of Canada ● India ● Most of Australia ● British Guiana & Caribbean ● Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and Union of South Africa c) What were the differences between these territories? ● Territories like Britain, Canada and Australia were known as dominions o White-settler colonies that exerted a certain amount of self-governance and control ● India was governed under the Raj after the Indian Mutiny. o Governed under East India Trade Company on behalf of the British formerly ● Informal control in territories like Argentina and British Guiana ● Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and Union of South Africa governed as British colonies |