ESSAY

• Strategic imperative


  Britain needed to claim territories before other counties
• Example of strategic imperative


  • In 1492 Christopher Columbus found America under the funding of Spain, which meant Spain would be gaining lots of land and power, so other powers such as England wanted this power
• Britain had competition with Spain

  Due to religious differences and complications between king Phillip of Spain and Elizabeth I
• This lead to Britain gaining land in the Americas in 1607

  jamestown, Virginia
• Britain was not fighting any wars at the time and nobody was threatening them, so they didn't need this extra land for protection
• Altruism


  British introduced democracy, social reform and acts in colonies
• Example of altruism


  • 1767- Townshed duties acts, which gave colonies access to many things such as sugar and tobacco, making poorer countries desire to be a part of the empire
• Economic gain


  Britain £122 million into debt, thus needed lots of money, which they could get by selling raw resources
• Examples of economic gain

  • Blood diamond in 1939, Sierra Leone
  • Trading India's resources, including cheap manufacturing in India and selling their spice, earning 45 trillion US from taxing and trading