The empire strikes back? : the impact of imperialism on Britain from the mid-nineteenth century

393 Pages·2005·6.268 MB·English

by  Andrew S Thompson

0582438292_COVER(Thompson) 30/3/05 11:46 pm Page 1
This wide-ranging and ambitious work begins from,but moves well beyond,the T
common observation that empire had a significant role in the making ofmodern H
Britain.Thompson weighs the relevant evidence from elites to the working classes,
E
from women and children to international economics and domestic politics.In so

doing he treats an enormous body ofmaterial with judicious insight … It deserves
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close attention by specialist scholars as well as a prominent place on student
M
reading lists. Saul Dubow,University ofSussex
P
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The concept ofempire and its influence seems to be everywhere today,debated R
widely both in the media and academe.How did the British people regard their
E
empire? Was it seen as a source ofstrength or weakness? How far did the

imperial experience define British nationhood? And why are imperial legacies S
still debated so vigorously? T
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The Empire Strikes Back? is the first full length study ofthe influence ofempire
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on British society,past and present.In this ground-breaking book,Thompson K
examines the impact ofempire on Britain’s political culture,social development E
and economic performance.He shows how the effects ofoverseas expansion on
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Britain were complex and even contradictory.There was not,and never could be,

any single or monolithic response to imperialism.Rather,the empire markedly B
extended the boundaries ofBritish domestic society,and its meaning was
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contested by different social groups.
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The book concludes by examining the British people’s relation to empire in recent K
times,engaging with many contemporary issues,such as the Falklands conflict,
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the repatriation ofHong Kong and the impact ofimmigration.A fascinating
study for all those concerned with how the past shapes both the present and the
future,this book is essential reading for students and scholars alike.

Andrew Thompsonis Senior Lecturer in Modern British History,and Pro-Dean
for Learning and Teaching in the Arts Faculty,at the University ofLeeds.His
previous publications include Imperial Britain: The Empire in British Politics T
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1880–1932(2000) and The Impact ofthe South African War,1899–1902 (2002),
co-edited with David Omissi. O
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P
S
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Cover image:A postcard commemorating the contributions ofthe
British colonies during World War I © RykoffCollection/CORBIS N
www.pearson-books.com
The Empire Strikes Back?

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THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK?
The Impact of Imperialism on Britain
from the Mid-Nineteenth Century
ANDREW THOMPSON

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PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED
Edinburgh Gate
Harlow CM20 2JE
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.pearsoned.co.uk
First edition published in Great Britain in 2005
© Pearson Education Limited 2005
The right of Andrew Thompson to be identified as author
of this work has been asserted by him in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN-10: 0-582-43829-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-582-43829-3
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thompson, Andrew, 1968–
The empire strikes back? : the impact of imperialism on Britain from the mid-nineteenth
century / Andrew Thompson.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-582-43829-2 (pbk.)
1. Great Britain—Colonies—Public opinion—History. 2. Public opinion—Great
Britain—History. 3. Imperialism—Economic aspects—Great Britain—History. 4. Great
Britain—Colonial influence—History. 5. Nationalism—Great Britain—History. I. Title.
JV1011.T46 2005
941.08—dc22
2004060192

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without either the prior
written permission of the Publishers or a licence permitting restricted copying
in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd,
90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. This book may not be lent,
resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form
of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the
prior consent of the Publishers.
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Set by 35 in 11/13.5pt Columbus
Printed and bound in Malaysia
The Publishers’ policy is to use paper manufactured from sustainable forests.
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For Sarah

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CONTENTS
List of Tables viii
List of Figures ix
Acknowledgements x
Publisher’s Acknowledgements xii
Preface xiii
Abbreviations xvi
Introduction 1
1. Elites 9
2. The Lower Middle Class and the Working Class at Home 38
3. The Working Class at Work 64
4. The Working Class at Play 83
5. Women and Children 96
6. Domestic Politics 124
7. Metropolitan Econo mics 155
8. The Forging of British Identities 179
9. After-Effects 203
Afterword 239
Appendix 245
Notes 248
Select Bibliography 350
Index 362
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Employment in the higher professions, 1911–51 18
Table 2 Empire–Commonwealth membership of UK professions
in the first half of the twentieth century 20
Table 3 Mail exchanged by the United Kingdom with the
colonies, 1904 and 1909 59
Table 4 Colonial parcels despatched and received in 1904–5
and 1909–10 60
Table 5 Membership of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers 70
Table 6 Distribution of Cavalry Regiments and Infantry
Battalions of the British Regular Army in 1899, 1906,
1914 and 1935 194

Table 7 Average strength and geographical distribution of the
British army in 1848, 1881, 1895, 1905 and 1925 195
Table 8 Estimated net immigration from the New Commonwealth,
1953–62 217
Table 9 Population by birthplace and ethnic origin: Britain, 1971 218
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Image from the Empire Marketing Board’s poster
campaign 46
Figure 2 Cornish miners on the Rand, 1896 62
Figure 3 Gandhi meets textile workers at Darwen, 1931 79
Figure 4 The Delhi Durbar, 1911 91
Figure 5 Children at High Middleton School, Empire Day,
23 May 1913 119
Figure 6 ‘The Jamaica Question’, Punch, 23 December 1865 133
Figure 7 ‘The Anglo-Indian Mutiny’, Punch, 15 December 1883 136

Figure 8 Value of money orders sent to the UK, 1873–1913 159
Figure 9 The Aboriginal cricket team, Sydney, 1867 188
Figure 10 The Swazi deputation to Britain, 1894 189
Figure 11 ‘Victory in the South Atlantic’, The Spectator,
19 June 1982 227
Figure 12 Burnum Burnum on Brighton beach, 26 January 1988 231
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