The British Empire Essay -- British History, Industrialization, Politi

The British Empire is the largest empire ever seen on the face of this planet. The empire was divided into two. The first part of the empire revolved around the British colonies in America that were popularly known as the thirteen colonies. These gained independence from Britain in 1783. The second part of the empire, which developed from the first empire, came later. It started during the Napoleonic wars and survived throughout the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. In fact, the British withdrew from its last colony, Hong Kong, in 1997; indeed the empire lasted for a long time. It developed from India and spun to regions of Africa and Australia. The influence and the power of the empire spun around the world shaping it in different ways. This influence is still evident in many places that fell under its control (Ferguson, 2004). To many people the world is the way it is due to the effects of the British Empire. Certainly, this empire just like other nu merous empires before it and after it had triumphs and humiliations; however, the fact that this empire had numerous good effects cannot be overemphasized. The empire impacted positively on Britain and the colonies. The first notable positive effect of the empire is industrialization. The British having been ahead in industrial evolution helped spread technology to new places around the world. Particularly, the British Empire was responsible for the development of early industries in their colonies (Balasubramanyam & Wei, 79). They built industries in the colonies such as sugar factories, cotton factories and tobacco industries. Certainly, this was a new development in these colonies that later led to the colonies mechanizing their cottage industri... ...ver, as a result of the demands of abolitionists, the British parliament enacted laws such as the Slave Trade Act 1807, which resulted in abolishing trade. Certainly, this was a remarkable contribution to the respect of human rights. Clearly, the vast empire also left a vast influence. The numerous positive affects are still evident today in most of the former colonies. Indeed, as most people believed the â€Å"sun never sets† on the British Empire. Most people believe that the current state of the world is a product of the empire. Numerous things including educational systems, farming, judicial, governance systems and others around the world are a product of the empire. The empire left a permanent mutual relationship among former colonies, which still enjoy trade and diplomatic ties. It is, therefore, beyond doubt that the empire had numerous positive effects.