Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire
I can explain the importance of Charles Darwin's ideas for British imperialism in the mid-19th century.
Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire
I can explain the importance of Charles Darwin's ideas for British imperialism in the mid-19th century.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The British Empire was very large and ruled over a diverse mix of people.
- Charles Darwin developed the theory of natural selection and evolution.
- Social Darwinism adapted Darwin's theories to claim that some groups of humans were superior to others.
- Social Darwinism was used to justify imperialism.
- Many ideas were used to justify British imperialism, such as the desire to spread Christianity.
Keywords
Empire - an empire is a collection of territories or countries ruled by a single person or government
Colonies - colonies are countries and territories ruled over by another country
Evolution - evolution is the process of gradual change which occurs over long periods of time
Social Darwinism - Social Darwinism was the false claim that Charles Darwin's ideas apply to human societies, making some groups of people superior to others
Imperialism - imperialism refers to the control of one country over another and the expansion of a country's empire by gaining new colonies
Common misconception
Ideas of racial superiority were the only justification for British imperialism.
Cultural and religious beliefs such as a belief in the superiority of Christianity helped to justify an encourage British imperialism throughout the 19th century.
To help you plan your year 9 history lesson on: Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 history lesson on: Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
territories ruled over by another country
collection of territories ruled by a single person or government
refers to a country's expansion of the territory under its control