The British Empire: Early Signs Quiz

Key Explorers and Empires

• Sir Francis Drake became the first English explorer to sail around the world during Queen Elizabeth I's reign.
• The British Empire reached its peak in the 19th century, covering over 20% of the world's land and more than 400 million people.

Trade and Colonial Ventures

• The English East India Company was established in 1600 for overseas trade and commerce.
• Spain had a large colonial empire in the Americas during the late 1500s.
• Following peace with Spain, England pursued further exploration and colonization in the Americas in 1604.

Early Colonization

• The first real venture of English colonization in the Americas occurred in Roanoke in the late 16th century.
• Mercantilism was the main economic policy driving the establishment of Britain's first empire.

Geographical Focus and Policies

• The center of Britain's first empire in the 17th and 18th centuries was the Caribbean.
• Direct British rule in India began in 1858.

Trading Companies and Regulations

• The East India Company significantly influenced England's presence in India during the 17th century.
• The Navigation Act of 1651 regulated imports into English harbors and colonies to strengthen mercantilism.

Mercantilism and Colonial Management

• Colonies under the mercantilist system were primarily used as sources of raw materials.
• England closely regulated colonies to build wealth and maintain control.

Transport and Trade Regulations

• The Navigation Act mandated that only English ships could carry imports to English harbors and colonies.
• An important factor in establishing England's first empire was its pursuit of trade routes and resources.

Early Settlements and Religious Foundations

• The first permanent English settlement in New England was established at Jamestown in 1607.
• The colony of Rhode Island was based on the principle of religious toleration.

Territorial Changes and Conflict

• New Amsterdam was seized from the Netherlands and renamed New York in 1664.
• William Penn formed the colony of Pennsylvania under a royal grant in 1681.

Challenges of Governance

• Due to vast distances, direct governance from England to the colonies was impractical.

Wars and Treaties

• The capture of French possessions of Acadia and Newfoundland was a result of conflicts in North America.
• The event that established Britain’s territorial presence in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time was the capture of Gibraltar in 1704.
• The Peace of Utrecht in 1713 resulted in territorial gains for Britain in North America and the West Indies.

Economic Enterprises and Labor

• The Royal Africa Company aimed to bring enslaved Africans to the Caribbean starting in 1672.
• Sugar cultivation transformed the West Indies into a plantation economy based on slavery.
• Acknowledgment of Spanish possessions in the Caribbean under English control occurred during the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739-1748).

Labor Systems in Colonies

• Initially, the labor force in the West Indies was comprised of white indentured servants from England.
• England's first foothold in the West Indies was the colony of Barbados, established in 1627.

Fur Trade

• The establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company near Hudson Bay for the fur trade was a result of the French and Indian War (1754-1763).