The British Empire was a political invention of the 1870s
In short: We often view the Victorian era as an era of inevitable imperial expansion. However, the jingoistic identity of 'The British Empire' was actually a calculated political tool created much later in the century, following a pivotal shift in leadership.
While the Victorian era is synonymous with global dominance, the specific cultural identity of the British Empire did not exist from the start. According to Professor Richard J. Evans of Gresham College, it was only in the 1870s that this jingoistic concept was forged as a political instrument. This shift is closely linked to the era when Benjamin Disraeli became Prime Minister, marking the birth of the imperial idea as we recognize it today.
Before this political branding, British superiority was often expressed through a lens of religious and scientific certainty. Many Victorians viewed themselves as a 'chosen people' tasked with a divine mission. Figures like Thomas Arnold, writing in 1839, believed the English were appointed to perform great works for humanity, while Charles Kingsley spoke of a God-given duty to replenish and subdue the earth. This sense of mission was often used to justify viewing other populations as socially or spiritually inferior.
This arrogance was not limited to distant colonies; it began on the European continent. British travelers, often traveling via the Grand Tour or later via the 1830s railway boom, frequently viewed France, Italy, and Spain as backward or unstable. Paradoxically, while the rise of industrialization and the 'sanitary revolution' improved British urban life, the sight of decaying Roman ruins in Europe reinforced a sense of decline in other nations. This led many to believe that the British, bolstered by their technological and industrial progress, were the new pinnacle of civilization.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Imperialist Enthusiasm in Victorian England - Professor Richard J Evans, Gresham College
- Also: The Victorians: Empire and Race
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