Western History 173: How Extensive was the British Empire by 1815?

There is no Empire in the history of humanity that has controlled as much area at the height of its power than that of the British. At its apex in 1920 it enjoyed dominion over territory in excess of 35 million square kilometres making it 48% larger than the second placed Mongol Empire. In total land area the British Empire was three times greater than the contemporary Second French Empire and more than double the the old Spanish Empire that reached its zenith in 1810. At its peak the British Empire had a population in excess of four hundred million people representing 23% of the world population and 27% of its land area. It had holdings on all of the continents.

 By 1815 The Empire was gaining clout but was still not behemoth that it would eventually become.

British Empire source: BBC.com

The Empire’s origins date back to the Age of Exploration and the follow-up that characterized the Elizabethan Era. British claims to North America were initiated with the voyage of John Cabot in 1497. The Statute of Restraints in Appeal in 1533 - that was the foundation of the English Reformation -  laid down the gauntlet for English exploration and ultimately colonization of North America – by declaring that the realm of the continent  was ‘the domain of England’. In a sense it was almost an early version of Manifest Destiny.

English shipping, piracy and the Atlantic Slave trade would fuel the drive with the eventual establishment of the Thirteen Colonies in North America starting in 1607. Trading companies, such as the Hudson Bay would further catalyze the outreach with merchant shipping and trading serving as an active agent of Empire.  Explorers and adventures would often push inland from coastal settlements further expanding the frontiers of empire

British settlements  in the Caribbean (St. Kitts, Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, etc) functioned primarily as sources for Sugar Plantations. At the same time  there was an extensive rivalry with Portugal, Spain, France and The Netherlands in particular, for control over the lucrative spice trade. This played a key role in furthering exploration and settlement initiatives in South-East Asia and the Indian Ocean.

However it was in the 18^th century that the Empire expanded  significantly - gaining Newfoundland, Acadia (both in Modern day Canada), Gibraltar and Menorca - following the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain also forfeited the rights to the Asiento to Britain,  and with it the permission to sell for profit slaves to the Americas.  More territorial acquisition would follow from later British triumphs in India  most notably the victory of Robert Clive victory at Plassey in 1757. These occurred in the wake of a crumbling Mughal Empire. Later gains in Quebec were cemented by the Treaty of Paris that ended the Seven Years War in 1763.

Nevertheless there were setbacks to the overall pattern of territory acquisition. The loss of the Thirteen American Colonies following the Revolutionary War of 1783 was the most noteworthy of these occurrences. However the downside was somewhat ameliorated by a change in British economic thinking, that had shifted in favour of Adam Smith’s notion of free trade and against the mercantilism creed, that viewed colonies and resources building as a zero sum game.

The 18^th century though was also noted for its deep voyages of exploration that were exemplified by the missions of James Cook and his charting of the East Coast of Australia (the coast itself had been discovered by the Dutch though in 1606). These voyages often contained a scientific contingent that would investigate the suitability of newly discovered territory for settlement. 

It was on Cook’s recommendation that Botany Bay was selected for a Penal Colony that became a reality in 1788. Cook would also visit New Zealand claiming both North and South Islands in 1769-1770 for the Crown outflanking others including the Dutch who under the seamanship of  Abel Tasman had first sighted the islands in 1642.

The Voyages of James Cook. Cook was killed in Hawaii in 1779. Source: Britannica

The Napoleonic Wars (1804-1815) provided Britain with another opportunity for expansion of Empire  and they acted accordingly by taking control of the Cape Colony in Modern day South Africa from the Dutch. The chief rationale was the safeguarding of  the sea route to India against the threat of French meddling. This would have consequences for the future.

The Cape Colony in 1806  (The Year it was taken over by the British. This was confirmed by the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814). Source: David Rumsey Maps

·         Population Source: Maddison, Angus (2001). The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective (PDF). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. ISBN 978-92-64-18608-8. Retrieved 22 July2009.