The British Empire: A source for good or evil? February 2014 | Page 25

In the all parts of the British Empire, other diseases
like the plague, the cholera appeared and the native people
couldn’t protect themselves. Consequently, a lot of people died.

Doc 3: The famine in India (wikipedia)

The disease for the British people
Of course, the native people weren’t the only people affected by the diseases, the British people
too, in particular in West Africa. This country was called the white man’s grave. Indeed, the
average life expectancy of British people is very short: only a few months. The Europeans would
quickly be stricken down by fatal diseases, like the malaria. The diseases were transported by
vermin and rats. The white people weren’t protected against the African’s climate, which is very
hot. Thus the great majority of British migrants
heading towards the safer temperate colonies of
New Zealand, South Africa, South Australia and
Canada, where they weren’t afraid to catch
diseases transmitted by a caribou.

Fortunately, the British people had built
hospitals and the scientists searched and found
lots of vaccines to protect themselves against
diseases.
Doc 4: Missionary Vaccination Locals (www.britishempire.co.u)

Questions:
1- (doc 1 and 3) : Can you describe these photos. Wherein they represent the misery of the native
people ?
2-(doc 2) : With the document and your personal knowledge, explain the localization of the
famine ?
3- Write a synthesis about the disease in the British Empire using the documents.
Marie Albert