Britain left its system of law in the countries it colonized ; a legacy of good even today. I – What is the British Empire? . The origins of the British Empire can be seen as going back to the Middle Ages with the beginning of the conquest of Ireland (1172) and conquest of much of France during the Hundred Years' War. However, the modern British Empire can be considered having started in 1497 with John Cabot's claim to Newfoundland. The British Empire was the largest Empire in history; At it's zenith, it held sway over a population of nearly 500 million people - roughly a quarter of the world's population - and covered about 14.3 million square miles (17.4 million including Antarctic claims), almost a third of the world's total land area. . During the mid-19th century Britain was the sole developed hyper-power, enjoying unparalleled prosperity. Britain was "the work-shop of the world," and even by 1870 she still was producing well over 30% of the global industrial output, no other nation coming even close to her production superiority. Due to the supremacy of the Royal Navy, Britain truly did rule the waves for centuries. With territories scattered across every continent and ocean and in every time-zone, the "Empire Under Palm and Pine" was accurately described as "the empire on which the sun never sets." . The Empire facilitated the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government around much of the globe through Pax Britannica and British Imperial hegemony. The contributions the British Empire made to the world, the technology, philosophy, literature, medicine, investment, institutions, and plain advancements of mankind have left a profound legacy.
The British domination
II- The British Colonies The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world's population at the time. The empire covered more than 33,700,000 km2, almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, legal, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire, because its expanse across the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories. . The British Empire consisted of various territories all over the world conquered or colonized by Britain from about 1600. It was expanded by commerce, trade, colonization, and sometimes conquest. Over all the Empire was built on commerce, not conquest. There were colonies conquered, but they were done for a reason. . The 19th century saw the largest expansion of the Empire. The only serious loss of territory was the loss of the 13 American colonies in the American Revolution of 1776 – 1783, which became the United States of America. The British Empire was at its largest territorial expansion after the First World War – after 1918, until the 1940’s, consisting of over 25% of the world's population and 30% of its area. . Since 1949, the British Empire was replaced by the Commonwealth of Nations. Most colonies are now independent; today’s Commonwealth is composed of former and remaining territories of the British Empire and a few non former British Empire countries which once belonged to other powers such as Portugal, France and Belgium. The Commonwealth is a loose, voluntary organisation dedicated to preserving human rights and democracy and is held together by a desire for membership and the English language
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The British Empire's Map III - Decolonisation and decline (1945–1997) . Though Britain and the empire emerged victorious from the Second World War, the effects of the conflict were profound, both at home and abroad. Much of Europe, a continent that had dominated the world for several centuries, was in ruins, and host to the armies of the United States and the Soviet Union, who now held the balance of global power. Britain was left essentially bankrupt, with insolvency only averted in 1946 after the negotiation of a $US 4.33 billion loan (US$56 billion in 2012) from the United States, the last instalment of which was repaid in 2006. At the same time, anti-colonial movements were on the rise in the colonies of European nations. . The situation was complicated further by the increasing Cold War rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union. In principle, both nations were opposed to European colonialism. In practice, however, American anti-Communism prevailed over antiimperialism, and therefore the United States supported the continued existence of the British Empire to keep Communist expansion in check. The "wind of change" ultimately meant that the British Empire's days were numbered, and on the whole, Britain adopted a policy of peaceful disengagement from its colonies once stable, non-Communist governments were available to transfer power to. This was in contrast to other European powers such as France and Portugal, which waged costly and ultimately unsuccessful wars to keep their empires intact. Between 1945 and 1965, the number of people under British rule outside the UK itself fell from 700 million to five million, three million of whom were in Hong Kong.
British Domination IV - Laws and the British Empire . Law has always been central to British self-perception. The heritage of a balanced constitution, the rule of law, and the ‘rights of free-born Englishmen’ has been as important to the historical formation of British identity as language, Protestant religion, and perceived differences with enemies, rivals or subordinated populations. Unsurprisingly, law played an equally central role in imperial governance as well as in the justification of imperial rule. This role is still being evaluated by scholars, who continue to diverge widely in their opinions. These are not simplistic arguments highlighting or denying the blessings of English law – scholars argue over whether English law was indeed capable of being transported, and if not, what kind of laws came to be applied in the colonies. Scholars have also debated the motivations and visions underlying imperial legislation, the social effect of the laws as applied, and the role of colonial populations themselves in shaping these laws and their effects. Questions: 1. Doc. I What is the British Empire? 2. Doc. II Of what is the British Empire composed? 3. Doc. II What remplaced the British Empire and when? 5. Write a text about the Law in the British Empire.
New tasty experiences from the British Colonies What comes to your mind when you think about tea? The British of course! But like you know, tea doesn't come from the Great Britain. But what have made the Great Britain to be the country of the tea time? What else do you think that the British Empire brought from their colonies?
India, the Jewel of the British Empire During the seventeenth century, the British Empire took control of the food production in India as it created a commercial company called the East India Company. India was one of the most important British colonies when it comes to importing food. The British Empire brought spices, tea, coffee and rice from India. The colony had a huge impact to the British cuisine; they have adopted the curry-style spicing from India and without it we wouldn't even have ketchup. Nowadays curry is almost a national dish of Great Britain, thanks to the colonisation.
India was called ÂŤ the Jewel of the British Empire Âť because of the several important ingredients which were exported to Great Britain.
Did you know ? Without the colonisation we wouldn't have ketchup: the British adopted a style of spicing from India and that's how they developed a line of spicy sauces, including ketchup.
How tea became the national drink of the Great Britain? Originally tea comes from China but the British exported it to India. They wanted to have an own tea producer. During the 17th century it became popular in Great Britain. In 1840 the tea production in the subcontinent started to by controlled be the British interests. At the beginning of the importation to Europe it was an upper-class drink but later it became the drink of all the classes as it became cheaper. Did you know ?
The Europeans discovered tea the very first time in the coffee shops in London in 1660's.
Jean-Etienne Liotard (Swiss artist, 1702-1789) Still Life Tea Set, 1781-83
The American and African discoveries The British Empire had colonies in America until 1783. They brought cheese from Canada, sugar and rum from Caribbean islands and bananas from Jamaica. The African colonies were established later, during the XIXth century. There the British discovered fruits, like oranges and apples.
ACTIVITY I Answer to the following questions: 1) What are the two mains products the British Empire imported from India? 2) Where does tea come from? 3) How did the curry come important to the British cuisine?
ACTIVITY II
Ingredients and the recipe of the Christmas Pudding.
Look at these two documents and say: 1) From which countries/continents these ingredients came from. 2) If it could be possible to make this recipe nowadays in Great Britain using just the British ingredients. 3) How the recipe shows the power of the British Empire.
GUIHAL Clémence RÖNKKÖ Nelli L1L
BIBLIOGRAPHY: www.nathan.fr
wikipedia.com
britishfoodhistory.worldpress.com
suite101.fr
google.com (pictures)
www.learnenglish.de
www.universaelis.fr
b-womeninamericanhistory18.blogspot.com
The democratic system of parliament
Manon Tirard Alizée Richardeau
I.
Democratic parliament system
The democratic system of parliament is a modern democratic form where the parliament is the most important institution. The parliament has a legislative and executive power that is the contrary in the USA, that uses a presidential system and where the government (executive power) has the majority of the power. The parliament is made up of people that the citizens have elected. Some countries who use this system are Australia, India, and Britain. Britain introduced this system. Indeed, when the Britons colonised Australia, India, Canada and South Africa they brought their culture and also their political system. These old colonies still use this political system. We’ll study the political system through case studies of Australia, India, Canada and South Africa.
II.
Australia, India, Canada, South Africa’s case studies
These four colonies have many common points regarding their political system. The parliament’s role: - To represent the electorate - To legislate - Legislative power is vested in “Parliament”; - To make laws - To do the legislation - The National Assembly is responsible for choosing the president (in countries where there is no monarch) - Check that the members of the executive perform their work properly - To form or dissolve the government But they are some differences between these colonies. Indeed, Canada, Australia and Britain are considered as constitutional monarchies in which the parliament has the authority and where a monarch is the ceremonial head of state and where the head of government is a member of the legislature. India is a Parliamentary Republic where parliament is separate from the executive power and where the president is the ceremonial head of state whereas the leader of the government (the Prime Minister) comes from the legislature. South Africa is considered as a Parliamentary Republic with an executive president (who is the head of state and of the government). He is elected by the parliament and is responsible to the parliament . Map of different governmental systems
Constitutional Monarchies in which authority is vested in a parliament. Parliamentary Republics where parliament is separate of the executive power and where the president is the head ceremonial of state whereas the leader of government is a person who came from to legislature. Parliamentary republics with an executive president elected by and responsible to a parliament.
III- Advantages and disadvantages of this political system In the democratic system of parliament they are advantages and also disadvantages. The advantages of the system are that it is faster to pass legislation, there are more political parties so the citizenship has a larger choice. There are also criticisms. Indeed, in the parliamentary system, the head of government isn’t elected directly. The other criticism is that the parliament's power isn’t controlled by another institution or organization.
IV- Have you understood? Document 1: Canada and South Africa’s Parliaments
Document 2: Governor general’s role in Australia
The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen’s representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth
Questions: Document 3: Australia’s democratic system of parliament
1) What shows that the parliament is the most important institution in a democratic system of parliament? (documents1,4) 2) What is Australia’s governor general’s role? (document 5)
Document 4: Indian politics: A multi-Party system
3) Describe document 3 and explain what symbols it embodies.
4) What are democracy’s characteristics? (document 3) Vocabulary: Senate: Senate is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament It shares the power to make laws with the other House of the Parliament, the house of representative. Legislation: all laws of a country
V- Sources Good/system politic: http://www.indianetzone.com/45/functions_indian_parl In Australia, the parliament is responsible for some functions: Good/system politic: http://www.vifindia.org/transcriptions-paper/2012 /04/04/functioning-of-parliamentary-democracy-in-india Good/system politic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system
Disease and the British Empire
British colonists brought or worsened the spread of plague, leprosy, cholera, smallpox, and malaria, among other diseases.
What diseases were brought?
This section will focus on India, because of the variety of diseases brought and the quality of documentation upheld.
Plague: There are indications of plague incidences in India, but there is well-documented proof of it in Kutch, where there was a plague outbreak in 1812 that lasted around ten years. In 1897 the Epidemic Diseases Act was approved, and the control of epidemics by locals authorities; however, India was ravaged by plague again in 1899, and by 1903 there were two million people recorded dead by the state, although it was probably more.
Leprosy: Another big problem in British India was leprosy . A lot of research on the scientific treatment for Leprosy was done by the medical officers, but many people died in the mean time.
Cholera: (1817-1824) Cholera began next to Kolkata. The number of deaths is unknown.
Malaria: Fever caused by malaria was considered one of the leading causes of death in India. One of the factors leading to increased malaria outbreaks was the establishment of the railways and irrigation network laid down by the British government, which did not consider efficient drainage systems for floods and rainwaters. by Piera and Yassamine
Malaria is carried by mosquitoes
What happened, exactly?
II
Test Your Knowledge: - Give some examples of diseases brought or worsened by colonists. - How might colonists have worsened diseases which already existed?
How did the British bring diseases anyway? When people travel around the world, they bring diseases to which the native inhabitants have not developed immunity. The British colonists were no exception, and many native people died in every country they added to their empire. For their part, many British colonists died from native diseases, too. It is mostly this second part which prompted the Imperial government to work on improving its colonial medical systems.
Medical Help The British government brought many diseases, but to be fair, they also dedicated much of their power to fighting those diseases among both the colonists and the native people (usually). In 1880, for example, there was a law passed that required the vaccination of all children, mostly against smallpox but also for other diseases, and by 1903 the percentage of successful vaccinations had risen to 39.1%. Sites referenced: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763662/ , http://www. nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/g2/cs2/background.htm
Quinine is used to treat malaria.
Yleanna and Anne
BRITISH EMPIRE
Introduction: During the colonisation, the British Empire controlled many countries and the Britain imposed their rules, their culture and their way of life. Indeed, in the various colonies, it was the British who had all the power : legislative and executive and the rest of the population had none power of decisions: they suffered the British' domination. Even if many people made nothing to fight against the settlers, there was also some groups, some associations of rebels which formed and which organised many manifestations (the most famous rebellion is the Mau-Mau, in Kenya, between 1949 and 1956). But, this rebellion lead to massacres like the Amritsar Massacre, in India, in April, 13th of 1919. The British Empire had no only good sides like the infrastructures or the medicine but there were also bad sides. Indeed, the rebellion made several deaths. Furthermore, there were rebellions because the colonized populations had lost their rights and wanted to get them back
I. The Amritsar Massacre a) A non-respected promise After the First World War, in April, the 13th of 1919, a non-violent group of Indians, leaded by Gandhi, demonstrated against the British settlers to denounce the economic difficulties of the moment and the hardening of the English politic. Indeed, British had promised at Indians, in 1917, to give them back their autonomy because they had participated and they had supported English during the First World War. In 1919, there was an implementation of a new Constitution which offered a better representation of the Indian communities in Legislative assemblies. However; the executive power was always in English's hands. It was thus far from being the autonomy that they had promised and whose other colonies of Australia and Canada benefited. Following this failure to respect their agreement, the anger rose in the minds of Indians, and they were angry also because Britain had adopted the Rowlatt laws which authorized the detention in a arbitrary way and the judgement possible troublemakers. The adoption of this laws was supposed to face up to the potential demonstrations. This political system was a prolongation of that practised during the war. b) The massacre and his consequences Gandhi was the leader of the Indian National Congress and at his appeal, in April, 13th of 1919, in Amritsar (in Pendjad), like in the others India's towns, people organised a pacific demonstration even if it was forbidden. Ten thousands men, women and children met in Jallianwallah gardens. For put a stop to this demonstration, British forces, leaded by General Dyer, forced the only entrance and they shot at sight, namely, shooting until that there was no one standing. The terrified mob run in all directions without be able to get out of garden which had turned into a trap. The massacre lasted ten minutes and at the end, the general and his men left the place without worrying about injuring many others. There are exactly 379 dead and 1,200 wounded. It was a strong moment on the way of Indian independence. When this was attained, a monument was erected in the gardens to commemorate this event. Still today the bullet marks of the British troops are visible in the walls of the garden.
II. Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya (1949-1956) a) The causes of this rebellion First Kenya was colonized by the German and after in 1890 by the British. In 1949, Richard Meinertzhagen, who was against the tribe of the Kikuyus, went to Kenya. The Kikuyus it is the largest ethnic group in Kenya. There were farmers indeed they cultivated for example coffee on the mountain. When he arrived, Meinertzhagen, was informed by the chiefs of the Kikuyus that a secret society was created and they have for goal to put away the white people of the country. This secret society was called Mau-Mau and was born from the fusion of the Forty Group and other
organisations. The name Mau-Mau came from the name of the mountains bordering the Rift Valley at the north east of Lake Naivasha, they had political, religious and economic interests. Richard Meinertzhagen, wrote to the governor of the colony warning him of the possible revolt, but the governor didn't listen. The rebellion Mau-Mau was the result of the tension between white colons ans African Kikuyus. b) What happened during this rebellion In 1949, the first rebellion Mau-Mau appeared. This rebellion were directed against the Africans who collaborated with the colony. The Mau-Mau killed lots of peoples with ritual massacres. The next years violence increase, indeed the Mau-Mau burned farms, murdered men, women and children. In October 1952, the confrontation with the Mau-Mau broke out as an open war. The governor of Kenya decreed the state of emergency and asked reinforcement from the England troops. He arrested 150 members of the Mau-Mau. In 1953, the Mau-Mau established a new base next to Nairobi and intensified their actions which became real operation military. They attacked farms of the colons and loyalist town. 93 Africans were killed in the massacre of Lari. The Mau-Mau rebellion started to decline in 1953 because of internal conflicts. The conflict Mau-Mau was an independence war but also a civil war. In 1963, the Mau-Mau rebellion disappeared with the independence of Kenya and the liberation of Jomo Kenyatta who became first minister.
Doc 1: Painting of the massacre
Doc 2: A Kikuyu woman in traditional custom
Doc 3: Mau-Mau gang
Activity: 1) Why are there has been a massacre in April 1919? 2) Due to who it organized and how it manifested ? 3) When did the movement ended ? 4) What is the Mau-Mau? For what did they fight? When did the movement started? 5) How manifested violence? Quote one massacre with the date. 6) Who led the soldiers during the Amritsar Massacre ? SOURCES : - http://www.herodote.net/13_avril_1919-evenement-19190413.php - http://www.kenyalogy.com/eng/info/histo13.html
Many colonial soldiers died fighting for Britain in it's wars. Would they have gone to war if their own countries had been independent ?
COMPANY RULE IN INDIA
Vocabulary : Responsibility : the ability or authority to act or decide on one's own, without supervision Renovate : to restore (something) to good condition Resolution : the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements Gandhi : Lawyer(Avocado) having
In 1857, the Indian Mutiny, Indian soldiers in the service of the British, is transformed into general popular uprising against the power of the English Company of East Indies. Certain Indians consider this revolt as the first war fruitless - of independence, although he can involve a retrospective reading of the history(story) there. Further to this revolt, India is placed under the direct responsibility of the British Crown, and the moghol emperor definitively put down(deposited). A movement of legal codification is begun(primed) to renovate the right(straight) Indian, then split up and chaotic In 1919 in the Punjab, the massacre of Amritsar, where hundreds of civilians were shot by the British troops, causes a trauma in all the nation and increases the public anger and the acts of violence. Gandhi criticizes at the same time the actions(shares) of the United Kingdom and the violent reprisals of the Indians. He writes a resolution where he presents his condolences to the British civil victims and condemns the riots. She(it) is accepted in spite of the beginning of opposition of the party, after Gandhi exposes(explains) its position during a moving speech where he puts forward(advances) his principle that any violence is malefic and cannot be justified
studied law in England, Gandhi developed a method of nonviolent civil disobedience in South Africa, by organizing the fight(wrestling) of the Indian community for its civil rights. In his(her,its) return in India, Gandhi incited the farmers and the working poor to protest against judged taxes too high and the vast discrimination and concerned the national stage the fight(wrestling) against the colonial laws created by the British
Named(Appointed) Named(Appointed) on on March March 24th, 24th, 1947 1947 aa viceroy viceroy and and Governor Governor general general of of India, India, Lord Lord Mountbatten has the heavy task to prepare Mountbatten has the heavy task to prepare the the independence. independence. Gandhi Gandhi advises(recommends) advises(recommends) to to the Congress to reject the proposals offered by the Congress to reject the proposals offered by British British Mission Mission cabinet cabinet in in 1946, 1946, because because he he isis wary of the grouping proposed for states with wary of the grouping proposed for states with Muslim Muslim majority majority which which he he considers considers as as the the beginning of partition(score). However it beginning of partition(score). However it isis one one of of rare rare times times when when the the Congress Congress rejects rejects its its opinion(notice) opinion(notice) (but (but not not its its authority), authority), because because Nehru and Patel knows that if the Congress Nehru and Patel knows that if the Congress does does not not approve approve the the plan, plan, the the control control of of the the government government would would fall fall into into the the hands hands of of the the Muslim Muslim League. League.
Mahat ma Gandhi
Between Between 1946 1946 and and 1947, 1947, more more than than 55 000 000 people people are are killed killed in in intercommunity intercommunity violence. violence. Millions Millions of of people are moved forcibly to homogenize the people are moved forcibly to homogenize the setting-up(presence) setting-up(presence) of of the the populations populations according according to their faiths. Gandhi is viscerally set against to their faiths. Gandhi is viscerally set against the the plans plans which which would would separate separate India India in in two two different different countries. countries.
As the war progresses, Gandhi increases his(her) demands(requests) for the independence, writing a resolution calling the British to leave India: Quit India. It is for Gandhi and the Congress Party revolts her(it) the most radical intended to reject the British outside the Indian lands. Gandhi is criticized by certain members of Congress and the other political groups as well for or against the British. Some people think that oppose in United Kingdom at the time of this all-out war is immoral, others find that Gandhi does not go rather far. Quit India becomes the strongest movement in the history(story) of the fight(wrestling) for the independence, with arrests and violence in a still ever seen scale(ladder). On August 15th, 1947, India reaches finally its independence, the price(prize) of numerous strikes and sacrifices, thanks to the firm efforts of the leaders(managers) of the Congress Party, the leader of the nationalist movement, and in particular Nehru and the Mahatma Gandhi. At the same time(in parallel), she(it) undergoes a partition(score) which gives birth(rise) to another State, Pakistan for the Muslims.
Jules Colza Fiona Grimaud
Democracy : The voting right in British Empire 1) For indigenous people and British settlers... There are many different situations in all the colonies. But the most widespread practice is that there was a governor, nominated by the Queen, who leaded the colony. One of the first right removed by the British authority was the right to let native people elect their leaders. In fact, their chiefs were often displaced by the settlers. The ones who could kept their functions were forced to do reports to the governors, they were in reality under the orders of them.
Illustration : Photography of native policemen, Natal, South Africa, 1900 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/educ ation/empire/g2/cs3/g2cs3s9.htm
The British settlers didn't have either the right to vote: their leaders were choose by the Queen. But they had more rights than the indigenous people, particularly the right to led native people, gave them orders that they couldn't refused. 3) In Britain... In 1897, Millicent Fawcett established the National Union of Women's Suffrage for the women's right to vote, arguing that if the women have to obey to the laws, they should have the right to participate at their creation. A long fight followed, particularly marked by hunger strikes. These actions brought sympathy to the new suffragettes. During the First World War, women were forced to replace the men and did hard jobs, often gave to the men. So in 1918, the Parliament of the United Kingdom granted the right to vote to the women, enfranchising women over the age of 30 who have minimum property qualifications. About 8 millions of women got the right. The Representation of the People Act 1928 extended the voting franchise to all women over the age of 21, granting women the vote on the same terms as men.
Case study about the Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion is the name of the conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada (Quebec) and British settlers in the Canada. This rebellion lasted from 1837 to 1838. After the conquest of the Lower Canada by the British Empire, a governor was named by London and he had all the power in the country. The Legislative Assembly of Canada succeeded to get the legislative power but the governor still had the executive power, and thanks to his wealth, he could control the economy of the Canada, so when elections were organized, he could buy all the votes. But two political party were formed: the Canadian party, with the native people, and the English Party, supported by the governor. In the 1830s, the same fact occurs in the Province of Upper Canada. All this tensions brought the battles of 1837 and 1838. After this war, Lord Lambton, first Earl of Durham, was nominated Governor General and high commissioner of British North America. Lord Durham was born on 1792 and died in 1840. He wrote the Report on the Affairs of the British North America (or Durham Report). You have an extract from this report: “…I expected to find a contest between a government and a people: I found two nations warring the bosom of a single state; I found a struggle, not of principles but of races; and I perceived that it would be idle to attempt any amelioration of laws and institutions until we could first succeed in terminating the deadly animosity that now separate the inhabitants of Lower Canada into the hostile divisions of French and English.…The difference of language produces misconceptions yet more fatal even than those which it occasions with respect to opinions; it aggravates the national animosities by representing all the events of the day in utterly different lights.” Durham Report, 1838
JASPARD Nolwenn BEAUDEAU Anouk
Questions : Q1) How does Lord Durham see the problems in the Canada? Q2) What are both conflicts about which Lord Durham speaks? Q3) Which element(s) produce(s) misconceptions? ==> Do a summary of the situation and the Lower Canada Rebellion
Sources : http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/struggle_democracy/citizens_empire.ht m http://www.iiipublishing.com/blog/2011/04/blog_04_05_2011.html Wikipedia : Women's right to vote in Britain - The lower canadian rebellion
The British Empire a force for Evil by Thaïs Guichard & Elisabeth Ambourhouet
The British Empire is shown as a wonderful thing that was great for the colonized peoples and brought them a lot of things. Under this “perfect image” there is an other reality, British empire wasn't only a force for good... The colonization had terrible impact on the native peoples. We will focus on how the british destroyed their culture. When the british colonized new land like Australia, Canada, Africa or India their brought their culture with them, and in some cases it made native's culture disappearing … We will work on two colonies : Australia and Canada.
The British Empire a force for Evil
The stolen Generation from Australia. Since the first contacts with British settlers in 1788, British realized that native Australians had a really different culture. They also realized that they didn't have the same religion (1) , so they tried to bring christianity to them . They decided to do that throught the Children “to make them more British”. That how the “Stolen generation” began to be taken from their family. Between 1909 and 1970 thousands of children have been taken from their family and sent to orphanages, boarding schools, or given to Christian association. Something more terrible is british wanted to impose their culture but they didn’t wanted to mix it with the native's culture, but white man did children with native women ( mostly they abused them). The half breed children were taken, officially to take care of them and integrate them to the british society but in reality they received the same treatment as the other children.
Map of Australia
Because of that some traditions and part of the native's culture disepear. The parents didn't had the opportunity to educate their child the way they wanted and some child never knew who their parents were after that. If you want to know more about the stolen generation you can google this link to hear their testimony. http://stolengenerationstestimonies.com/index.php
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Inspection of St Joseph Orphanage in New Norcia Australia by the Governor Sir Charles
VOCAB: 1 : All the native's religions aren't the same but most of them believe in reincarnation of the spirit or soul and that animals or plats soul are interchangeable. 2: The First Nations are the various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit or Métis.
Brainwashing of First Nation's children
Extract from: Imperial Federation, map of the world showing the extent of the British Empire in 1886
In Canada, Today, Native peoples represent 4,3% of the population, so 1, 400, 685 people. In 1840, the first school for (2) First Nation’s children openned. Between 1840 and 1996 children were taken from their families to go in those kind of school to undergo an immersion program. In this program, they were prohibited from speaking their own language or practicing their own faith, and, if they were too undisciplined, they suffered physical violences. Those young boys and girls were isolated in those camp, where they can’t see their parents for months or years. The children were sterilized when they entered the “school”, but there were a lot of physical and sexual abuses, 4000 of them died there. The children received corporal punishment to « save their souls » or « civilize the savages », They were treated like animals ! . They lacked hygiene so the schools were often ravaged by epidemics. In 1960, everybody knew about this camps and all the treatment done to the native's children, but the Crown hushed up it. It's only in 2007 that the Canadian Prime Minister made a public apology, because the Candian governement was considered responsible of First Nation cultural genocide
St. Paul's Indian Industrial School, Middlechurch, Manitoba, 1901 From page 23 5- Are native peoples a big part of Canadian population today ? 6- Could the children often see their parents ? 7- Did they received good treatments ? Justify your answer. 8- What was the situation in 1960 ? in 2007 ?
Activities : Activity 1: Did you understand everything ? From page 22 1- Why did the Britain wanted to remove the children from their family ? 2- Where did they bring the children ? 3- Were half breed children sent to the same places ? 4- What are the beliefs of the native ?
Activity 2: Organize and synthesize your ideas
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From the documents and your knowledge write a paragraph about : “Why was the british empire a force for evil to the native's cultures in Australia and Canada ?”
Education in the British Empire I System of education • • • • • • • •
Students in the British Empire had different subjects such as reading, writing, maths, poetry, prayers. They didn't have many textbooks and paper because it was expensive but they had found a solution : the students learned and recited their lessons until they knew them. The three most commonly used books were a Bible, a primer, and a horn-book. Children of poor families couldn't pay for literary and religious education and, instead, there were apprenticeships from three to ten years. There were also schools for future teachers, for example in Malacca, China. Primary schools were especially weak, as for girls' education, no surprise on either count. Per capita, spending on education in Bombay was ten times higher than in Orissa, India. Many laws were meant to help the development of education throughout the time. The main goals were to teach the population and thus form an elite.
II Some case studies •
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In Ghana, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the Moravian Mission, the Mission of Bremen, the Methodists and the Roman Catholic missionaries opened elementary schools and a seminary between 1820 and 1881 and secondary schools (in 1909). In Nigeria, Protestant missions were opened at Badagry, Abeokuta, Lagos, and Bonny from 1860 to 1899, and the Roman Catholic missions entered afterwards and opened the first catechism, primary, secondary, and normal schools. In Uganda and Kenya, the Church Missionary Society, the Universities Mission to Central Africa, the White Fathers, and the London Missionary Society opened the first mission schools between 1840 and 1900. The Committee on Education in British tropical Africa was created to develop education on African colonies. It was then recalled “Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonies” in 1929 and it's yet extended to all the colonies. Of course, the British Empire couldn't provide every colony with schools and education for everyone but they did their best and they succeeded to set up many schools, and even a university in Malta (doc. 3) in 1591. In the 19th century, the East India Company and later the British Crown introduced a new state system of education in British India. Beginning in 1858 the Crown controlled education policy until 1919 when education was transferred to the control of Indian ministers at the province-level. In India there are scientific institutes. There are the Indian institute of Science where students study biological, chemical, electrical, mathematical, mechanical, and physical sciences, and there is also the Indian institute of technology that was founded by the central government in 1950.
III Limits to the development of education • • • • •
Under the British empire, educational spending never exceeded one percent of GDP because they preferred developing trade, finance, technologies... The British also spent twice more educational spendings on the Princely states (privileged) than for India. Mexico and Brazil, hardly marvels of successful education, were spending about five times as much. Other parts of the British empire, again per capita, were spending about eighteen times as much. In India the Education reforms provoked conflicts between the British and the native Indians. Many young people attend school but official statements affirming that education is "compulsory" are false because, nowadays, a significant percentage of children--especially girls--fail to become literate and instead carry out many other tasks in order to contribute to family income. More than half of India's children between the ages of six and fourteen (82.2 millions) are not in school.
Vocabulary help : GDP : economic indicator of the wealth produced annually in a country Horn-book : a page on wood containing the alphabet or religious sentences. It looks like that : Missionaries : people sent by Catholic church to convert people to Catholicism Net enrolment : rate of people who applied for school
Document 1 Net enrolment of primary education from CEDOL (Commonwealth Education Online) Africa – 2012 ( www.cedol.org/africa/ )
Document 3 Malta university, founded in 1591, includes 14 varsities, a performing arts school, an Olympic swimming pool, tennis courts...
Document 2 Cover of the website Commonwealth Education Trust www.cet1886.org/
Document 4 and 5 colonialfilm.org.uk/sites/colonialfilm.org.uk/files/term_images/119 britishempire.co.uk/images4/historyteaching7
Questions : 1) Why do you think there are privileged countries ? (all the doc.) 2) Show the educational inequalities between the ex-British colonies (doc. 1) 3) Compare doc. 4 and 5. Do you think they are caricaturist ? 4) According to doc. 4 and 5, do you think girls and boys have the same education ? Write a paragraph about the good and bad points of Commonwealth education in the British Empire. Don't forget to give examples ! Sources : evil/http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/04/indian-education-under-the-british-empire.html good/https://archive.org/details/educationinparts00unit evil and good/http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,47&q=latika+chaudhary+india+education evil/http://www.budget.gov.au/2002-03/bp5/html/05_bp5part3.html good and evil/http://www.stratfordhall.org/educational-resources/teacher-resources/colonial-education/ Larose Zoé and Tirard Léa
A. Hudson Bay Company •
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In the 16th century, English people began to settle on the northest coast of North America (Newfoundland,Canada). Bristish use the colonial system from 1750 to the midle of the 19th century. The main reason for building an Empire was to improve trade. Troughout the 17th century the Canadian fur trade was totally controlled by France. French found that The Hudson’s Bay area was rich with fur. In 1668, 2 ships were commisioned for exploration and trade in Hudson’s Bay. As the ships returned in England with big quantity of fur, English were fully ready to participate in the venture. They formed Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1970, the king of England granted them a complete monopoly over the fur trade troughout the lands surrounding Hudson’s Bay. Britain granted monopoly trading privileges and mineral rights to all the lands drained by the water flowing into Hudson Bay. It was an area fifteen times the size of Britain. The aim was to set up Canada to provide goods such as fur. Britain also limited colonial trade to other countries. Britain practice protectionism by forbidding them, taxing them and forcing them to stop at a British Port first. When the Seven Years War began, the fur trade continued out of Montréal. The First Nations people had to be kept supplied, but the volume of exported furs steadily declined. Within a year of the French capitulation at Montréal in September 1760 and the end of New France.
B. The East India Company •
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The British East India Company was created the 31/12/1600 by a royal charter of Queen Elisabeth 1st . This charter confer to this company and to the british the entire monopoly of commerce in India and in the Indian Ocean. In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe was sent in Agra where he met the Great Mogul. The two mens sign a treaty which allowing the Company to start having the economic monopoly in India. This is the beginning of the british domination in India. Then, the East India Compagny create strongholds in Calcutta, Madras and Surat and also they hunt out of Bombay the portuguese colonizers and thus it extend his power in the all India and also in the all Asia. In 1670, King Charles II granted by five orders to the Company the right to acquire new autonomous territories, to coin money, to control armed forces, to having diplomate activity and to exercise justices in its territories. In 1850, the East India Company reachs its commercial peak: it control India, Asia ( it have created Hong-Kong and Singapour) and also Indonesia and all of the Indian Ocean. In all of the territories controled by the Company, colonizers try to develop the industry without success. Agriculture stay very dominant and the members of the Company destroy it : they « employ » Indians or Asians farmers for harvest sugar, cotton, coffee and also tea. But, when the crop is done, they exported these products in England. So locals populations have just a little part of these crop and this caused several famines during the last quarter of the XIX century who made the dead of 25 million peoples in India. So, the East India Company was a very good thing for the british peoples in England but at what cost for all of the Indies who have suffered from the british domination their country. In conclusion, British colonizers destructed the economy in all of their colonies because of all exports they did since colonies to England. These exports were oragnized by several british companies that became very powerful with this trading.
Activity
Doc. 1 Foundation of Jamestown, first British colony
Doc. 2 Life in plantations in India 200 years later
1. Describe the two pictures. What differences do you notice ? 2. Are these documents have been created for doing propaganda in England ? 3. Do you think that the life in the doc. 2 is the same in reality ?
Balance sheet Write an essay where you explain and criticize in an argumentative way the evolution of organisation of economy and the bad effect that this economy have allow in the colonies. You will rely on specifics examples such as the example of the East India Company and you will also have to organize your answer in several parts. Resources: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnie_britannique_des_Indes_orientales www.cadahistory.com www.cbc.ca www.thecanadaencyclopedia.com
Alya and Paul