Britains Empire example essay topic

Queen Victoria wasnt sure that she wanted either of them. However, the Victorian era brought the further colonization of Europe and the rest of the world. It was also responsible for an increase in trading. Unlike many former leaders of the British Empire, Queen Victoria did not gain colonies merely to have more control in the world, they all had strategic locations within the empire. This justified her philanthropic motivations to her supporters (Lloyd 6).

Britains empire was at its strongest while Queen Victoria was its leader. However it was not until 1876, that Britain actually became an Empire. Britain had the size of an empire and imperialistic views, but no leader had ever crowned himself or herself emperor or empress. That is until 1876, when Queen Victoria named herself Empress of India. As Brian Lapping says, this plan was legitimatized, because having leadership from a Christian would help uncivilized people who would normally be unable to govern themselves have a chance to one day run their own country (33).

With this belief, Africa and China were also taken over. Britain attempted to industrialize each country. At this point most believed that Britain was still the worlds leading industrial power. However, by the late 1800's and early 1900's this was no longer the case. In the later decades of the nineteenth century there occurred a revival of European competition for imperial strength (Sears 28). Although Britain was the first industrial power, by 1900 the United States, and Germany had each surpassed Britain.

However Britain was still the financial headquarters for the worlds commerce, as well as its most powerful merchant (Ross 18). As one can see the basis for the power of British Empire was its maritime trade shaped during the reign of Elizabeth I; and trade with the Ottomans played the important part in the establishment of that ultimate power.

Bibliography

1) Bayly, Christopher, ed. Atlas of the British Empire. Indiana: Indiana UP, 1989.
2) Houghton, Andrew. The British Empire as a Superpower. New York, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co, 1990.
3) Huttenback, R.A. The Cambridge History of the British Empire. MA: Naval Institute Press, 1996.
4) Lapping, Brian. End of Empire. Ft. Lauderdale FL: St. Martins Press, 1995.
5) Lloyd, T.O. The British Empire, 1558-1945.
England: Oxford UP, 1996.
6) Morgan, Kenneth O. The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain. England: Oxford UP, 1984.
7) Ross, Kelly. The Worlds Greatest Empires. Los Angeles, California: UCLA Press, 1997.
8) Sears, Stephen. The Horizon History of the British Empire. Nashville, TN: American Heritage Publishing / McGraw-Hill Book Co, 1973.
9) Williamson, J.A. The British Imperial Experience. Dartmouth, MA: Naval Institute Press, 1994.