Niall Ferguson - Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World - Why Britain? 1/5

Historian and presenter Niall Ferguson takes us on a fascinating journey in both time and space to explore the impact of the British empire on the modern world. From the earliest British settlers in Virginia to the decline of the empire in the aftermath of the two World Wars, positive and negative aspects of the empire are illustrated through key events and players.

Niall Ferguson uses a wealth of original sources such as quotes, documents, film footage and photographs, as well as taking a contemporary look at key locations and drawing parallels with recent history, such as the USA's war against terrorism.

The series is highly entertaining, informative and thought-provoking, and provides an excellent and balanced overview of the British empire and its continuing legacy in the world.

Part one: Why Britain?

In this programme we learn about the origins of the British empire in the 17th century and how its foundations were laid, not by a grand political strategy but by British pirates, especially in the Caribbean. The British economic style of reinvesting in places like Jamaica led to commercial success as its raw materials sugar, tobacco and coffee were in huge demand back at home in Britain.

Seventeenth-century India was a rich nation, producing a quarter of the world's output, so it is no surprise that the major nations fought over it. The British won the seven-year war with France over supremacy in the colonies, thanks to its superior warships and much stronger finances, which left Britain as the controlling force in India.

We get a glimpse of how the British lived in India, the central role played by the East India Company, and how a commercial base developed into political control.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• niall
• ferguson
• empire
• britain
• made
• modern
• world

[myholden]

why do people keep saying Russia is a superpower?! it's economy is worth no more then

Spain's, despite having a MUCH larger population, and has had stagnant growth for the last

few years....

[Flamesofthunder]

Thanks for  uploading

[Preacherjonson]

@samwillown the U.S is still the dominant power, with all its connections it's more than capable of defeating the Russians or Chinese, not sure about the two combined though

[samwillown]

The USA isn't the lone superpower anymore. Now China is undeniably a superpower with Russia not far behind

[TheLiberalKnight]

@HerrOttoKranz It is strange, look back, at both the American revolt against Britain, and the Mexican/South American revolts agains Spain, that both of them were started not by the poor, but by the filthly rich colonists.

[HerrOttoKranz]

@TheLiberalKnight Yes, the Bourbons prevented the criollos from having any self-rule at all and imposed trade monopolies; that created a lot of resentment against Madrid. Later on it would be those wealthy criollos like Bolivar who would lead the new republics to independence (against the Indians, who stayed loyal to the Crown, like in America with the British) and eventually ruin them, unable to achieve some sort of unity like the US did. But Spanish colonists were always few and far between.

[TheLiberalKnight]

@HerrOttoKranz That is true, but the main reason why the South Americans rebelled against the Spanish was because the mainland Spaniards treated their colonists as little better than dirt. Consequently, they formed their own national identities. It took Canada and Australia a very long time to form national identities because they were not discriminated against in London, although snobbery was still there. Therefore Mexico feels more comfortable elected Indians than Canadians

[smallrossy]

any1 else proud to know we had the biggest empire in history?

[gotsda]

@MrGilles1990 Argueably Pax Americana is over already, the USA rely on China for borrowing money and industry similarly to how Britain relied upon the US after the second world war.

Mabye not exactly the same yet but could be the begining of the end for the USA's reign.

[HerrOttoKranz]

@wickedwilluk Yes, the Spanish did plunder in the early stages of conquest. But it is an overstatement -to say the least, because it feels more like outright manipulation- to affirm that the Spanish empire as a whole was based in plunder. That may be true of the Mongol empire, but not of ours.