historiography is the study of the writing of history and of written history

postcolonialism is a theoretical approach that is concerned with the impact of colonisation in colonies and former colonies

a metropole is the parent state of a colony

New imperial history

History

In this unit, pupils analyse how the British Empire has been commemorated and challenged over time. This leads into the next unit, ‘Decolonisation: how similar was decolonisation throughout the British Empire?’, where pupils will study the varied processes of decolonisation and their impact on former colonies.

In ‘The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?’, pupils studied the changes within the British Empire during its height. This unit shifts focus to how the Empire is interpreted today, looking at different perspectives on how it has been commemorated and contested.

In this unit, pupils learn about how the British Empire was viewed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They analyse how imperial anxiety, decline, and decolonisation have all led to changes in its historiography.

Interpreting the British Empire: how has it been commemorated and contested?

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of famine, disease, natural disasters.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Traditional historiography of the British Empire is from the perspective of the __________.

The study of the writing of history and of written history is {{ }}.

the role of the British and their achievements 

the relationship between the metropole and the colonies

the impact of colonisation from the perspective of the colonised

New imperial history explores __________.

the influence of Caribbean music in Britain

Which of the following is an example of how the colonies shaped the metropole?

How did British books change Indian stories and poems?

What was the impact of British policies on the preservation of Indian festivals?

How do Indians today view and use British-built buildings?

Which of the following is an example of a question that a postcolonial historian might ask?

This keyword is an international organisation consisting of states which once belonged to the British Empire.

In which year was the Atlantic Charter signed?

In which year was the Indian Independence Act signed?

Which of the following countries were partitioned after independence?

In which year did the British government create the 'two-power standard'?

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrated how many years of her reign?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Adult supervision required

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

New imperial history

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.