Australia India Gold Coast Caribbean Questions... Australia India Gold Coast Caribbean When did this country become and then cease to be a colony. Why was this country important for Britain? Identify one impact (positive or negative) about British rule on this country. Identify one fact about the relationship between Britain and this country. Grid for students to complete about 4 colonies from the Empire

Australia... The first reason for Britain’s colonization of Australia was to provide a new location for the criminal population. In the 1600s and 1700s, Britain had a major problem with crime... Following the loss of the American Colonies after the American War of Independence (1775-1783), Great Britain needed to find alternative land for a new British colony. Australia was chosen for settlement, and colonisation began in 1788. Rather than resorting to the use of slavery to build the country up with roads, buildings, houses, shops etc convict labour was used as a cheap and economically viable alternative. Source for Australia section

Australia... The second reason for the British colonising Australia was to enable their citizens to start a new life. It also allowed people from Britain to escape poverty and gain wealth in Australia. This was especially evident of those from Ireland who were leaving a land of hunger, misery and overpopulation. Source for Australia section The final reason for Australia being colonised was for its strategic importance to the British navy. The continent provided a base for the navy in the Eastern Sea. Overall the advantage of having a naval base in Australia meant that the British were generally more versatile in the deployment of ships to certain locations. Australia became independent in 1986 but Queen Elizabeth II is still recognised as their Queen.

The Caribbean... The two things that the Caribbean could produce for the Empire... can you work out what both of them are? Source for the Caribbean section DISCUSS in your group whether you can see any evidence of slavery in this picture?

The Caribbean... Great Britain began to colonise parts of the Caribbean from 1604 but they faced battles for control over the area with the Spanish and Dutch. In 1655, Jamaica was colonised by the British, in 1666 Barbados became a British colony and in 1688 the Virgin Islands also became part of the British Empire. Britain used the colonies to grow sugar cane and shipped in slaves from Africa to do the hard work. The islands grew strong economically until the middle of the 1800s, when a combination of the abolition of slavery in the Territory, a series of disastrous hurricanes, and the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States significantly reduced sugar cane production in the Caribbean and led to a period of economic decline. The Virgin Islands are still British territory. Source for the Caribbean section

The Gold Coast... Use clues in the picture to work out why the Gold Coast was an important country for the British Empire... (hints...what is happening in the picture? Where does it look like the people are? Are the British showing what’s going on in the picture to be a positive or negative thing?) Source for the gold coast section

The Gold Coast (Ghana)... Britain first became involved in the Gold Coast for two because there were local wars going on in the area that was disrupting Great Britain’s trade and much of the slaves that were sold from Africa to other countries passed through the Gold Coast. Britain became involved in the Gold Coast to try and stop the existence of the slave trade. The area became part of the British Empire in 1821. Gold, ivory and slaves would turn the coast into a magnet for traders eager to make their fortune. The years of British rule of the Gold Coast during the 20th century were an era of significant progress in social, economic, and educational development. Roads and railroads were greatly improved. New crops, including cacao trees, were also introduced; cocoa production would become a major part of Ghana's economy (think about where your favourite chocolate bar starts it’s life!) The foundation of an educational system more advanced than any other else in West Africa resulted from export revenue. It was through British-style education that a new Ghanaian elite gained the means and the desire to strive for independence. Ghana became independent from Britain in 1957. Source for the gold coast section

India... India became part of the British Empire in 1858 and took over the lands that were controlled by the East India Company. The British got rid of many independent states in India and formed laws and policies of their own. Eventually the entire Indian country came under the British rule. The British  provided a single system of law and government,  unifying India.   They also introduced  English as a unifying language. The British  built roads, bridges, and railroads in  India.  They set up  telegraph wires.   However, India’s cottage industries,  in which goods were made in  homes, were hurt by competition with  British goods. The British  built hospitals, introduced new medicines,  and provided famine relief.  At  the same time, health care improvements led  to a population  explosion without  an increase in economic opportunities. Indians were  also looked down upon by the  British and their culture was treated  as inferior to European culture.  Indian  workers provided the British with  inexpensive labour. India gained independence from Britain in 1947.   Source for the india section

India... Why was India an important country for Britain? Work it out from the pictures... Source for the india section