The British Empire: A source for good or evil? January 2014 | Page 2

Britain left its system of law in the
countries it colonized ; a legacy of
good even today.
I – What is the British Empire?
. The origins of the British Empire can be seen as going back to the Middle Ages with the
beginning of the conquest of Ireland (1172) and conquest of much of France during the
Hundred Years' War. However, the modern British Empire can be considered having
started in 1497 with John Cabot's claim to Newfoundland. The British Empire was the
largest Empire in history; At it's zenith, it held sway over a population of nearly 500 million
people - roughly a quarter of the world's population - and covered about 14.3 million
square miles (17.4 million including Antarctic claims), almost a third of the world's total
land
area.
. During the mid-19th century Britain was the sole developed hyper-power, enjoying
unparalleled prosperity. Britain was "the work-shop of the world," and even by 1870 she
still was producing well over 30% of the global industrial output, no other nation coming
even close to her production superiority. Due to the supremacy of the Royal Navy, Britain
truly did rule the waves for centuries. With territories scattered across every continent and
ocean and in every time-zone, the "Empire Under Palm and Pine" was accurately
described
as
"the
empire
on
which
the
sun
never
sets."
. The Empire facilitated the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and
government around much of the globe through Pax Britannica and British Imperial
hegemony. The contributions the British Empire made to the world, the technology,
philosophy, literature, medicine, investment, institutions, and plain advancements of
mankind have left a profound legacy.