an empire is a collection of territories or countries ruled by a single person or government

colonies are countries and territories ruled over by another country

evolution is the process of gradual change which occurs over long periods of time

Social Darwinism was the false claim that Charles Darwin's ideas apply to human societies, making some groups of people superior to others

imperialism refers to the control of one country over another and the expansion of a country's empire by gaining new colonies

Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire

History

This will help to contexualise responses to the Empire that they will go on to study, as well as aid their appreciation of the era of decolonisation (Y9).

Pupils have already considered the emergence of the British Empire through their study of the Atlantic World and Britain's interactions with India (Y8). Pupils will have also gained a strong understanding of the importance of trade across the period of history.

The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?

during a rebellion, people challenge the authority and even fight against those who govern them

sepoys were Indian soldiers employed in European armies

a proclamation is an official announcement about something important

The British Empire in India

the House of Assembly was the group of politicians who were responsible for making many of the laws in colonial Jamaica

discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of someone because of characteristics such as their sex, race or religion

if you abolish something, you have put an official end to it

The British Empire in Jamaica

merchants are people whose job is to buy and sell goods

when countries try to achieve their foreign policy aims by using the threat of military force, this is called gunboat diplomacy

a treaty is a written agreement between two or more countries, approved and signed by their leaders

Gunboat diplomacy and the British Empire in East Asia

areas of Africa beyond its coastlines were often referred to as the African interior

abolitionism refers to the movement which supported abolishing slavery and the slave trade

missionaries are people who travel to foreign countries to spread Christianity

colonisation is the process of taking over and ruling new areas as colonies

The British Empire and the Scramble for Africa

something may be described as transformed if it changes significantly

The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?

Choose a lesson (6)

These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.