Niall Ferguson - Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World - Why Britain? 2/5

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

[TheLiberalKnight]

@wickedwilluk Lucky for us, as they are succeeding our economic lead.

[wickedwilluk]

@TheLiberalKnight

Maybe so - but modern Brazil used the Anglo-Sphere economic model - not the Spanish.

[wickedwilluk]

@NearAbbeyRoad

He never said that they 'invaded'. He said that Parliament asked William Of Orange to take the throne,

[TheLiberalKnight]

@HerrOttoKranz Glory to the west... except the USA, that is.

[HerrOttoKranz]

@TheLiberalKnight I thought so :)

I agree with you, Europe as a whole is the mother of civilization. Glory to the West!

[TheLiberalKnight]

@HerrOttoKranz I already knew that. Spain did quite brutally tear down Aztec civilization, but they replaced it with a more civilized society. I am proud of European civilization. It should be spread throughout the world.

[HerrOttoKranz]

@TheLiberalKnight I must warn you that Ferguson makes a typical mistake when saying that in the 17th century the Spaniards were "ransacking" the ancient American "civilizations".

The truth is that we created a veritable civilization there, introducing agricultural and cattle techniques still in use today. Incas and specially Aztecs were barbaric peoples more undeveloped than the Roman Empire. In the early 1800s Central and South America was richer than most of Europe, let alone Spain itself.

[NearAbbeyRoad]

Ferguson is wrong. In 1688 the Dutch never invaded England It was a coup in which William was invited to take the throne.

[TheLiberalKnight]

@lelinhosgp Brazil is a civilized nation that will be the largest economy in the world by the end of the 21st century. If Britain had colonized Brazil, she would be proud of her today.

[stephentsang2000]

@Thraikios

It's okay, but not a good choice. There are better choice than enslaving Nigerians, such as stealing patents of the West to fatten our pockets.