British Imperialism - 1497 Words

Within this piece of writing, I am aiming to reach a conclusive, decisive answer to the extent of which geographical knowledge such as navigation, cartography and exploration allowed for the emergence and rule of British imperialism. What were some of the key ideas and visualizations that geographers portrayed to their empires, to understand and perceive the world and places in a more complete sense? Firstly, I am looking to go over the history of British imperialism and what constituted their great success. Secondly, I will be referring to the support and importance that the Royal Geographic Society served to the empire and how they attempted to conceptualize imperialism and rule over nations. Lastly, I will be assessing some of the key†¦show more content†¦Due to these advancements many voyagers and explorers could benefit dramatically through improved mathematical and navigational prospects and the ability to describe new landscapes and people in a far more complex manner . These advancements became noticeable with the implementation of the new mercantilist Atlantic trading system, that allowed for the linkage of the emerging, growing nation-states of western Europe to the ever-expanding American continent. The most rapid rate of imperial expansion occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, mainly due to the industrial revolution that allowed for new mechanised industries, driven by steam power therefore acting synergetic with increasing flows of global capital, structured around a need for new markets, access to new raw materials and new opportunities to invest profit and surplus. The empire managed to gain productivity and efficiency allowing for greater investment into naval powers and geographical intelligence. Perhaps this led to, according to Stoddart, one of the most important pivots in the development of modern geography, namely the first successful sailing into the Pacific by James Cook in 1769. Geography as a subject was beginning to develop from a practical, navigational skill that simply allowed for scientific discovery to aShow MoreRelatedEssay On British Imperialism1198 Words   |  5 PagesConsolidating the British Empire: The British Empire was an empire on which the sun never set. Lasting for over three hundred years, Britain became the global hegemonic power of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the wilds of Australia, to the fertile lands of Africa, the British Empire ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. With the empire ever expanding, visual and material culture became relied upon to help consolidate the empire. Overall, whether an advertisement for soapRead MoreBritish Imperialism1137 Words   |  5 PagesAdam Dees Dr. Herman WOH1030 2 April 2015 Impact of British Imperialism In the late 1800’s, European nations only controlled about 10 percent of the continent of Africa, France to the north and Britain to the south (Edgar, 2008). As time goes by, other countries gain conquests, mostly in western areas of Africa. This essay will go over a few key points in history that led to the Age of Imperialism and the British colonization of Southern Africa. The essay will also identify key players inRead More British Imperialism in India and China Essay736 Words   |  3 PagesBritish Imperialism in India and China Imperialism is the domination of a weaker country by a stronger country. For instance Britain dominated India and China in the mid 1880s to the beginning of the 20th century. Imperialism has had both a positive and negative effects on the countries involved. Britain was imperialistic for many reasons, it could dominate because it had the technology and power to do so. 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