What was the British Empire ks2?

What was the British Empire ks2?

What was the British Empire? The British Empire is a term used to describe all the places around the world that were once ruled by Britain. Built over many years, it grew to include large areas of North America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa, as well as small parts of Central and South America, too.

What are the countries in the British Empire?

Currently the union consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are devolved Parliaments for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales that have powers relating to only those parts of the union.

How did the British Empire form?

The British Empire began to take shape during the early 17th century, with the English settlement of North America and the smaller islands of the Caribbean, and the establishment of joint-stock companies, most notably the East India Company, to administer colonies and overseas trade.

What is an empire ks2?

An empire is the collective name for a group of countries ruled by a single person, government or country. The word comes from a Latin word, imperium, meaning government or rule. History has seen many empires around the world, with the Roman Empire being perhaps the best known.

Who started the British Empire?

Queen Elizabeth I
The British Empire began in the late 1500s under Queen Elizabeth I. By 1913 the empire had grown to rule over 400 million people, making it the largest empire in history.

Why was the British Empire so powerful?

With land, with trade, with goods, and with literal human resources, the British Empire could grab more and more power. Profitability was key to British expansion, and the age of exploration brought wonderous and addictive delights to the British Empire.

What made the British Empire so powerful?

Why did Britain have an empire?

Britain had many reasons to want an empire. Economically, the rich natural resources available in Africa, Asia and the Pacific earned the country a lot of money as goods were imported and exported. Politically, it made Britain a very powerful country and allowed the spread of their influence across the world.

Why was the British Empire so successful?

They Saw Economic Opportunities. Without question, economic opportunity paved the way for the growth of the British Empire. Trade, land and the exportation of resources were critical for increased profit, but secondary industries and careers were also booming.

Why did Britain want an empire?

What was the first British Empire?

When did the British Empire begin? The first tentative steps toward the establishment of the British Empire began with overseas settlements in the 16th century. Great Britain’s maritime expansion accelerated in the 17th century and resulted in the establishment of settlements in North America and the West Indies.

Why did Britain gain an empire?

What were the good things about the British Empire?

On the positive side, the Empire brought many changes in the countries within it, roads were built, schools and hospitals introduced as well as railways.

Why did British Empire fall?

The Empire was overstretched and – combined with growing unrest in various colonies – this led to the swift and decisive fall of many of Britain’s key assets, some diplomatically, some violently. In 1947 India became independent following a nonviolent civil-disobedience campaign spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi.

How was the British Empire so powerful?

The Industrial revolution was born in Britain in the 1700s, and allowed huge economic growth, which brought even more money in, allowing them to become still more powerful, economically, politically and militarily, in the process.

What is the British Empire BBC Bitesize?

What is the British Empire? An empire is a group of countries ruled over by a single monarch or ruling power. An empire doesn’t need an ’emperor’. The British Empire comprised of Britain, the ‘mother country’, and the colonies, countries ruled to some degree by and from Britain.

How did British Empire fall?

Why did the British lose their empire?