Retaining a statue or monument takes very little work – explaining it is a mammoth and contested task.
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Articles on British Empire
Displaying 1 - 20 of 121 articles
Some UK families whose wealth largely derives from the transatlantic slave trade have agreed to pay reparations.
Britain’s industrial revolution was built on slavery: both black labour and intellectual property.
The naming of streets, places and landmarks in colonial Nairobi was used to show the political, ideological and ethnic dominance of the British.
Philip Miller and Amit Chaudhuri have reworked national anthems to reflect the impact of history on official music.
Singing at King Charles III’s coronation tells a story of global histories coming full circle.
The coronation will have echoes of empire, but represents an important stage in the modern monarchy’s move away from its shadow.
Gems do not a monarch make, and repatriating the Crown Jewels would strengthen the contemporary British monarchy at a time when it most urgently needs to modernize.
Although King Charles will have a low-key ceremony this coronation, the Crown Jewels will still figure prominently. An exploration of the jewels tells a tale of exploitation, rape and pillage.
Charles’s culinary choices might be intended to recognise the multiculturalism of Britain today. But they are also a reminder of the difficult legacy of empire.
The coronation is a critical moment for King Charles to show that the monarchy can be more efficient and more sensitive to the legacy of British imperialism.
March 2 marks the 65th anniversary of the completion of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Intended to demonstrate Commonwealth unity, it became a symbol of Britain’s imperial decline.
Throughout its known history, Koh-i-Noor has been a symbol of imperial conquest and glory.
Americans are not the first to fret over the potential harm that parties can inflict. But parties can also promote the common interest.
In 1776, with a population of 2.5 million, few imagined that within two centuries, the U.S. would become the dominant superpower. It’s not inconceivable that Canada could do the same by 2223.
Scientists have found more ‘alien species’ today in regions that were once key parts of European empires.
The mega dam in Jinja was meant to give Uganda energy independence, but this was constrained by Britain’s agricultural interests in Egypt.
Western fashion, laundering and style reflected the racialized politics dramatically shaped by profound global transformations bound up with slavery, colonialism and modernization.
The British empire brought the practice of commons enclosure to Africa to claim land. Its effects continue today at sites like the Liesbeek River in Cape Town.
Queen Elizabeth harnessed goodwill from Canadians mostly as an individual, rather than as the hereditary head of an institution. But her death will lead to debate about the relevance of the monarchy.
Top contributors
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Professor of Indian and Colonial History, University of Liverpool
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Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University, Canada
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Senior Lecturer in History, Anglia Ruskin University
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Senior Lecturer in Employment Studies, University of Manchester
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Professor of Historical Geography, University of Sussex
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Assistant Professor of History, Thompson Rivers University
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Senior Lecturer, History, University of Aberdeen
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Lecturer in Media, Lancaster University
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Monash Intercultural Lab and National Convenor of the Asian Australian Studies Research Network, Monash University
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Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Aberdeen
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Doctoral Researcher, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham
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British Politics Lecturer, University of Liverpool
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Professor of History, Royal Holloway University of London
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Postdoctoral Fellow in International Law, Lund University
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SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for South Asian Studies, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
