BRITAIN IN THE 19th CENTURY (1)

BRITAIN IN THE 19th CENTURY (1)

British Foreign Policy in the 19th Century.

The 19th century was a relatively peaceful era for Britain. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 Britain only fought one war with another European power, the Crimean War against Russia (1854-1846). Other wars were colonial wars involving small numbers of soldiers.

During the 19th century Britain built up a great overseas empire including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In 1819 Sir Stafford Raffles founded Singapore. Britain also took Burma in stages during the 19th century. In 1857-58 they crushed the uprising called the Indian Mutiny and in 1877 Queen Victoria was made Empress of India. In the late 19th century Britain took large swathes of Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Nigeria. The British also took control of Egypt and Sudan. Nevertheless by the end of the 19th century it was obvious that Britain was no longer as powerful as she had once been and needed allies in Europe.

In the middle of the 19th century Britain was the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Britain was the first country to industrialise. She therefore had a head start over other nations. However the other countries (France, Germany and the USA) began to catch up. By the end of the 19th century Russia, Sweden, (North) Italy and Japan were also industrialising. As a result Britain became relatively less important. In the late 19th century Britain's power declined.

British Domestic Policy.

Social unrest.

The early 19th century was an era of political and social unrest in Britain. In 1811-1816 textile workers in the Midlands and the north of England broke machines, fearing they would cause unemployment. The wreckers were called Luddites and if caught they were likely to be hanged. At that time you could be hanged for over 200 offences. In 1819 a crowd of about 60, 000 people gathered at St Peter's Field in Manchester to hear a man named Henry Hunt. Even though the crowd were unarmed and the peaceful the authorities sent in soldiers. As a result 11 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. Afterwards people called the event 'The Peterloo Massacre' in a grim mockery of Waterloo.

In1812 a man named John Bellingham shot Tory prime minister Spencer Perceval. In 1820 there was a plot to kill the whole cabinet

(Cato Street Conspiracy) but the conspirators were arrested and hanged.

In 1830 farm labourers in Kent and Sussex broke agricultural machinery fearing it would cause unemployment. The riots were called the Swing Riots because a man named Captain Swing supposedly, led them. As a result of the riots 4 men were hanged and 52 were transported to Australia. In 1834 6 farm labourers in Tolpuddle, Dorset tried to form a trade union. However they were prosecuted for making illegal oaths. (Not for forming a union, which was legal). They were sentenced to transportation to Australia. The case caused an outcry and they returned to Britain in 1838.

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