Consequently, we should be ashamed of crimes against humanity that stain our whole history (‘It’s our Holocaust’, as I heard one well-known historian put it). Students in Year 8 have been completing a History unit on "Should we be proud of the British Empire?" Is there anything about British history that I am proud of ... Hmmm - no it’s not.its about whether the UK should be ashamed about its colonial heritage. From China to Iraq, we kid ourselves when we downplay the effects of Empire. Thanks to the British, we now have capitalism. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. We talk about colonialism and its horrors are taught in history lessons in school. Rhodes was a central figure in British imperial history, and the presence of his statue is a commemoration of this period of our nation. The British, particularly the English should be absolutely ashamed that their history is written in blood. We did a lot of good, as well as bad. This week the UK’s YouGov published the results of a poll where 44 per cent of British respondents said that the country should be proud of colonialism. To which I’d reply, being a descendent of … It was one to be very proud of. 25th Sep 2017 21:40. Why the Empire has again become an issue seems clear. At my school, we had more balanced teaching, showing that there were many motives for creating an empire and there were costs and benefits to Britain and to the Empire. The British Empire was the largest empire to have ever existed on this planet. By Daniel York Loh July 21, 2017 Iraqi refugees queue for food and water. To describe, explain the British Empire and evaluate whether we should be proud or ashamed of it India In the 1700s the East India Company traded with Indian Princes for silk, tea, spices and other valuable goods. The White Cliffs of Dover. But because of that many tribes and cultures were destroyed. The English should have to pay extra tax in order to compensate the countries that were practically tortured by the evil English. It is an historical fact, an acknowledged crime for which the British government has paid compensation to surviving victims. The British empire, like every empire in history, was created to enrich the imperial mother country, not to realise some vague civilising mission. Prince William and Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge. It aims to find out whether we should be proud or ashamed of gaining an Empire and follows the questions on the front slide. zip, 10.26 MB. The Imperialistic British Empire stretched from British Alaska to the Dominion of Australia from 1603 to 1949 it was the greatest empire this world has ever seen. Nov 9, 2021. It’s hard to top the excellent answer provided by Alex Johnston but I’ll add my view on it. In terms of the numbers involved, we can look to a YouG... Lawrence James, historian, author of Rise and Fall of the British Empire. Are you proud of what the East Indian Company did in India so far? A new survey has found that only 19% of British people are ashamed of the British empire, which at its height colonised around a quarter of the world’s total land area. Empire … The British first sent prisoners to America, but as the War of Independence reached its conclusion in 1782, the old colonial power was left with nowhere to discard their crooks … until they saw a solution Down Under. zip, 10.26 MB. Jeremy Corbyn with Bristol's deputy mayor Asher Craig (second left) on a visit to the city. It aims to find out whether we should be proud or ashamed of gaining an Empire and follows the questions on the front slide. The difference between Britain and America is that we aren't ashamed of it, why should we be? I feel that most of the people you are referring to are proud of the achievement of the empire. After all controlling over a quarter of the world a... the common name is egregiously incorrect on a technical level. And I find this argument that some use, that British whites should be ashamed, incredibly racist and ignorant. As Corbyn rightly noted: “Black history […] In this poll, a significant majority of respondents believed Britain should be more proud than ashamed of its imperial past. What could possibly be wrong with that? The British Empire destroyed nations looted nations such as India dry. In my opinion, the British Empire is all too often demonized as a force of evil; a force that any respectable person should be ashamed of. To the question why 43pc of British still think the colonial empire was a good thing and a source of pride, I say, why not? How should the British Empire be remembered? I know a lot of bad things happened from time to time, but I am sure much better things happened as well. ... they must be made ashamed of what they are. British Empire is still being whitewashed by the school curriculum – historian on why this must change November 2, 2018 9.22am EDT Deana Heath , University of Liverpool It’s hard to believe that people who are proud of the British empire don’t echo the racist sentiments so prevalent during colonial rule. Using white or any other colour as an insult is racism. We could bring together all parts of the community to acknowledge the ‘sins’ of the past and make peace. Britain was the best at it. ... and—we are not ashamed to use the word—peace. 18 … India has kept much of our rule of law, and institutions. For their final creative challenge, students were asked to write a new song about the British Empire. #8. And then, a fifth of Brits are woke enough to be ashamed of the British Empire. and explain why it matches your opinion. But we should stand our ground. The British Empire had both positive and negative aspects because although it brought blood, tears and dispossession , it also brought roads, railways and education to many countries through out the world. It is high time to question this orthodoxy.”. Neither. I see it as a product of its time, just like the other European empires of the time. Would you ask a present day Malian if he was proud or... So much for the evils of imperialism. Jeremy Corbyn has recently proposed that British school children should be taught about the history of the realities of British imperialism and colonialism. Nov 9, 2021. The Foreign Secretary has said the history of the British Empire cannot be ignored and the UK must embrace it “warts and all” if we are to compete with hostile states. We never tried to hide our empire under "in the name of democracy" like America's expansion was hidden. I almost feel ashamed to be white. The main discussion focussed around whether Britons should be “proud or ashamed” of British history, in light of the 200 th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. What proportion of 60+ feel pride over the British Empire? This lesson will probably be delivered over 2 lessons and is set out into different tasks for the students to complete. Cause and consequence, historical viewpoints ... To describe, explain the British Empire and evaluate whether we should be proud or ashamed of it. Elnathan John, Nigerian novelist. Read Michael Shepherd poem:It was so easy being a British child in the 1930s: everything was – or so it seems to memory’s. This lesson is to be used as an introduction to the British Empire. The question now is whether this means we can be proud of it. Imperial Federation Map of the World showing the extent of the British Empire. British Empire is still being whitewashed by the school curriculum – historian on why this must change. It was one to be very proud of. Thursday November 30 2017, 12.01am, The Times. And this is why we find ourselves in a peculiar farce. The Welsh and Scottish are exempt because well they're Welsh and Scottish. Defenders of the British Empire and its legacy are fond … Thursday November 30 2017, 12.01am, The Times. YouGov asked two questions: Is the British Empire more something to be proud of or ashamed of? The rise of the British Industrial Revolution created the modern world and damaged the world environmentally. The British Empire. 62 55 48 54 60 65 58 59 55 65 58 58 46 More something to be ashamed of. More something to be proud of. We could celebrate Magna Carta, Wilberforce, the liberation of Europe. It was resisted everywhere it existed. The British expansion around the globe started with the Age of Discovery under Queen Elizabeth I. (Above) The British Empire was the most benevolent in history, raising living standards for hundreds of millions of poverty-stricken people suffering in the Third World. Why should we be ashamed of it? To be ashamed of our history is to be ashamed of our present, and to do this would be an unacceptable lapse of national spirit. Why should they be ashamed about the fact that their forefathers created the largest empire ever in history, one where the Sun never set? The British empire was the best realistic regime that a poor undeveloped country could have wished for. However, I believe that many schools have taught only the negative side, making the British the villains and the rest victims, as if we should all be ashamed, if we are white. The British empire was the best realistic regime that a poor undeveloped country could have wished for. One can only blame the politically correct socialists for this stance. I also think he is wrong, because I don’t see any evidence that we have ignored the sins of the British Empire. Top 50 things that make us proud to be British. To be ashamed of our history is to be ashamed of our present, and to do this would be an unacceptable lapse of national spirit. Human Rights are enforced in terms directly proportional to the economy and military. The British Empire was established between the late 1700s and the early 1800s. It’s influence peaked in the early 1900s and by the 1950s it was in full retreat. It was, on it’s own terms, one of the most successful empires in world history and made Britain the world leading power of it’s day. British Empire. Given that mainstream British society has traditionally romanticised empire, it is only fair that Hirsch offers a different perspective. By Lawrence James Published: 18:05 EDT, 18 April 2012 | Updated: 18:06 EDT, 18 April 2012 The Empire is suffering yet another posthumous assault. At its height, it included over 20 percent of the world’s surface. Britain has long found it difficult to evaluate its former empire. If ashamed is not the right term, then certainly must be deep regret. The Commonwealth is Empire 2.0 This would include the history of people of colour as components of, and contributors to, the British nation-state – rather than simply as enslaved victims of it. We wanted Fur for our hats and Clothing, we could get these better fabrics for a cheaper price. Ego. Also, what choice do they have? If they don’t, they have to be critical of their own family, countrymen/women. They would rather point to the... I think that the British should be proud of their empire in a way, but I think the should be ashamed of what they have done too, because they haven’t always treated everyone in another country with respect or their customs and assumed that others should follow the British way of living. 59. 65%. Of our own world, our own mankind. We are Fill in the Blanks, a group of sixth form students, all from former British colonies, seeking to mandate the teaching of Britain’s colonial history. We should be proud of the massive achievement that the British Empire was and it is right that we celebrate it. What these reviewers fail to understand is Hirsch is explicit in saying that this podcast will be examining empire from … Thinking about the British Empire, would you say it is more something to be proud or more something to be ashamed of? Some subsidiary questions in a YouGov poll about the 2014 Commonwealth Games revealed that 59 percent of British adults (aged 18–60+) view the Empire as ‘more something to be proud of ’, with just 19 percent considering it ‘more something to be ashamed of ’. Welcome to Talk Classical - A community covering every aspect of classical music! I'm completely neutral on the matter. It was all a long time before I was born and I wasn't involved in any way. How can I possibly be either proud... I’m not ashamed of my country, just realistic about its excesses. 48%. By three to one, British people think the British Empire is something to be proud of rather than ashamed of – they also tend to think it left its colonies better off, and a third would like it to still exist. Sport. Rhodes was a central figure in British imperial history, and the presence of his statue is a commemoration of this period of our nation. It could be called British History Day. Posted on: 8 November 2018 by Dr Deana Heath in 2018 posts 'Imperial Federation Map of the World showing the extent of the British Empire. We should be proud of our history, but we should remember the bad things that happened as well. The empire has become reduced to the abolition of slavery, the building of the Indian railways and some vague talk about the rule of law, British values and the spread of the English language. Trade Game Instructions. ‘F or the last 100 years, western colonialism has had a bad name. Critics of the suggestion believe … The poll comes ahead of the upcoming O… Because if something is relatively good then it is morally acceptable. Times Letters: Proud and ashamed of the British Empire. The British Empire was the largest empire to have ever existed on this planet. This video is part of a series “Empires of Dirt” produced by Vice News. A new YouGov survey finds that most think the British Empire is more something to be proud of (59%) rather than ashamed of (19%). 23% don't know. Young people are least likely to feel pride over shame when it comes to the Empire, though about half (48%) of 18-24 year olds do. In comparison, about two-thirds (65%) of over 60s feel mostly proud. British people aren't ashamed of the Empire or historic colonialism - poll. He was fired in the most humiliating fashion and then viciously attacked and called a racist by his so called best friend and Coach's Corner's co-host of over 30 years Ron Maclean. Trouble is, as Cornish says, we are stuck in a a time warp which has taken many people over completely. The empire isn't something Britain should be ashamed of but we shouldn't be too proud of it either, it was entirely self serving at the expense of others even if we didnt go round murdering, imprisoning, enslaving people to the same degree as some of … Some reasons why British did not colonized Nepal are 1) Nepal is geographically rocking country where in tarai regions cover by flooding and 80%land had landslides,throughout the year. Yes we can. I wouldn’t say that british people are necessarily proud of the british empire, after all it has a chequered and blood stained history to say the l... And, as much as modern Britons seem ashamed of their former Empire, it was the British who brought an end to widow-burning in India, and the Royal Navy which was far and away the single greatest contributor to the end of the African slave trade. Ashamed to be British? Was not the British Empire, one of the great civilizing forces in human history, a manifestation of British racial superiority? What proportion of 18-24 yr olds feel pride over the British Empire? Why? Doha Khan draws on history to justify her view, saying: "Before Britain came to India it gave 22% of GDP to the world and when the British left we were no more than 4%. You must love how the British Empire acted as a parasite upon India, in which India's share of the world's income went from 24% to just 4%.