The British Empire in the 18th and 19th Centuries

By the 19th century, the British Empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen, spanning every continent and governing approximately one-quarter of the world's population. The growth of the empire had profound consequences for both the colonised peoples and for Britain itself, driving migration, trade, and cultural exchange on a global scale.

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The Growth of the Empire

The British Empire expanded dramatically between the mid-18th and late 19th centuries.

Period	Key Acquisitions
Seven Years' War (1756--63)	Britain gained Canada and dominance in India (following Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey, 1757)
Late 18th century	Colonisation of Australia begins (First Fleet arrives in 1788); Cape Colony (South Africa) acquired during the Napoleonic Wars
19th century	Britain acquires New Zealand (1840), Hong Kong (1842), large parts of West and East Africa, and consolidates control over India
"Scramble for Africa" (1880s--1900s)	European powers divide up Africa; Britain gains Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe/Zambia), and more