Enquiry What was the British

Question: Empire?
LESSON TITLE:
INDENDED LEARNING
What were the OUTCOMES
origins of the
• Describe what an Empire
British Empire?
is ( L4)

The purpose of this • Begin to explain why an

lesson is to: Empire was so important
Find out what the to Britain (L5)
British Empire was and
why it was so • Explain the good and bad
important to Britain. points of having an
What is this map showing?
Empire

What do you
think an Empire
might be?

Answer: A group of
states or countries
under 1 authority.
 What was the British Empire?
1.Answer the following questions in your History
Notebooks.

i) What was the first colony that Britain gained?

ii) How much of Africa was ruled by the British when the
First World War broke out?
iii) List some reasons for why the colonies did not want
to be part of the Empire.
Questions... Australia India South Africa Caribbean

When did this

country become and
then cease to be a
colony.

Why was this

country important
for Britain?

Identify one impact

(positive or
negative) about
British rule on this
country.

Identify one fact

about the
relationship between
Britain and this
country.
 How would the colonies have felt about
being part of the Empire?

For each country:

explain what was good or what was bad for
them being part of the Empire.

Explain which country you think had the best

“deal” and WHY YOU THINK THIS

Explain which country you think had the

worst “deal.” and WHY YOU THINK THIS
1. Write a list of all the reasons why Britain wanted an Empire.

2. Highlight the reason that you think would be the biggest

incentive for Britain to have an Empire.

Write a sentence to explain why you think this...

I think that ______________________________ is the biggest

incentive for Britain to have an Empire because...

3. Highlight the reason that you think would be the smallest

incentive for Britain to have an Empire.

Write a sentence to explain why you think this...

I think that ______________________________ is the smallest

incentive for Britain to have an Empire because...
 Who can talk about
what you have learnt
today for one minute
without saying the
words ‘Empire’ or
‘British.’
Lesson resources on the next
slides...
Questions... Australia India Gold Coast Caribbean

When did this

country become and
then cease to be a
colony.

Why was this

country important
for Britain?

Identify one impact

(positive or
negative) about
British rule on this
country.

Identify one fact

about the
relationship between
Britain and this
country.
 Australia...
The first reason for Britain’s colonization of Australia was to provide a new
location for the criminal population. In the 1600s and 1700s, Britain had a major
problem with crime...

Following the loss of the

American Colonies after the
American War of Independence
(1775-1783), Great Britain
needed to find alternative land
for a new British colony.
Australia was chosen for
settlement, and colonisation
began in 1788. Rather than
resorting to the use of slavery to
build the country up with roads,
buildings, houses, shops etc
convict labour was used as a
cheap and economically viable
alternative.
 Australia...

The second reason for the British colonising Australia was to enable their citizens to start a
new life. It also allowed people from Britain to escape poverty and gain wealth in Australia.
This was especially evident of those from Ireland who were leaving a land of hunger, misery
and overpopulation.

The final reason for Australia being colonised was for its strategic importance to the British
navy. The continent provided a base for the navy in the Eastern Sea. Overall the advantage
of having a naval base in Australia meant that the British were generally more versatile in the
deployment of ships to certain locations.

Australia became independent in 1986 but Queen Elizabeth II is still recognised as their
Queen.
The
Caribbean...

The two things that the

Caribbean could produce for
the Empire...
can you work out what both
of them are?

DISCUSS in your group

whether you can see any
evidence of slavery in this
picture?
The Caribbean...
Great Britain began to colonise parts of the Caribbean from 1604 but they faced
battles for control over the area with the Spanish and Dutch. In 1655, Jamaica
was colonised by the British, in 1666 Barbados became a British colony and in 1688
the Virgin Islands also became part of the British Empire.

Britain used the colonies to grow sugar cane and shipped in slaves from Africa to do
the hard work.

The islands grew strong economically until the middle of the 1800s, when a
combination of the abolition of slavery in the Territory, a series of disastrous
hurricanes, and the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States
significantly reduced sugar cane production in the Caribbean and led to a period of
economic decline.

The Virgin Islands are still British territory.

The Gold Coast...
Use clues in the picture to
work out why the Gold
Coast was an important
country for the British
Empire...

(hints...what is happening in
the picture? Where does it
look like the people are?
Are the British showing
what’s going on in the
picture to be a positive or
negative thing?)
 The Gold Coast (Ghana)...
Britain first became involved in the Gold Coast for two because there were local
wars going on in the area that was disrupting Great Britain’s trade and much of the
slaves that were sold from Africa to other countries passed through the Gold
Coast. Britain became involved in the Gold Coast to try and stop the existence of
the slave trade. The area became part of the British Empire in 1821.

Gold, ivory and slaves would turn the coast into a magnet for traders eager to make
their fortune.

The years of British rule of the Gold Coast during the 20th century were an era of
significant progress in social, economic, and educational development. Roads and
railroads were greatly improved. New crops, including cacao trees, were also
introduced; cocoa production would become a major part of Ghana's economy (think
about where your favourite chocolate bar starts it’s life!)

The foundation of an educational system more advanced than any other else in
West Africa resulted from export revenue. It was through British-style education
that a new Ghanaian elite gained the means and the desire to strive for
independence.

Ghana became independent from Britain in 1957.

India...
India became part of the British Empire in 1858 and took over the lands that were controlled
by the East India Company. The British got rid of many independent states in India and
formed laws and policies of their own. Eventually the entire Indian country came under the
British rule.

The British  provided a single system of law and government,  unifying India.   They

also introduced  English as a unifying language.

The British  built roads, bridges, and railroads in  India.  They set up 

telegraph wires.   However, India’s cottage industries,  in which goods were made in 
homes, were hurt by competition with  British goods.

The British  built hospitals, introduced new medicines,  and provided famine

relief.  At  the same time, health care improvements led  to a population 
explosion without  an increase in economic opportunities.

Indians were  also looked down upon by the  British and their culture was treated 

as inferior to European culture.  Indian  workers provided the British with  inexpensive labour.

India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

 
India...

Why was
India an
important
country for
Britain?
Work it out
from the
pictures...