Chapter Eight

Parties Policies and Colonial Expansion

Party Policy and Reform Trade Unions and the Labor Party Colonial Expansion

Party Policy and Reform

During the agitation 动乱 for the reform movement in1832, the Tories ignore the demands of the bourgeoisie.

The Whigs started a reform movement and received many middle class representative into their party.

The Whigs supported by workers urban middle class demanded to abolish the Corn Law.

The Corn Laws were import tariffs 关税designed to support domestic British corn prices against competition from less expensive foreign-grain imports between 1815 and 1846.

The Tory Prime minister, Robert Peel ,in 1846 repealed the Corn Law.

The abolition of the Corn Laws caused the party boundaries blurred. 混乱

Robert Peel

The abolish of the Corn Laws was historic importance in several ways:

1) It dividing the Tory Party ; 2) it began a era of free trade; free trade

(laissez faire), which believed that the import and export duties interfered with the natural flow of trade;

3) it admitted that industrial interests were more than agriculture interests.;

4) the most important proposition it caused was that industrial workers should had political rights.

In the last thirty years of th 19th century, English politicsrevolved about the personalities and programs of the leaders Gladstone and Disraeli.

Gladstone was a conservative, later he became the leader of the liberal Party.

Under him, the Liberal Party for 30 years stood for free trade, laissez faire in economies, gradual parliamentary reform, economy in republic expenditure, nonaggresive foreign policy and local self-government.

British Prime Minister Gladstone

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli founded the modern Conservative Party which developed out of the Tory Party.

He was Prime Minister in 1868 and in 1874-1880.

He followed imperialist policy, Buying Britain a majorty shareholding in Suez Canal Company, Making Queen Victoria Empress of India.

Under him the second important reform bill was passed in 1867.

The practical effect was to grant nearly universal manhood suffrage in the cities.

But million of rural workers still remained vote less.

In 1884 the third reform bill was passed. Two million rural workers were added to

the voting list.

Trade Unions and the Labor Party

Processes: ① In1833, Grand National Consolidated

Trade Union had died out. 全国大联合工会 ② In 1850, Amalgamated Society of

Engineers was founded. 工程师联合协会 It charged fairly high due and paid

generous benefits for sickness, unemployment or old age. This helped members to keep loyal.

After the second Reform Act of 1867, most skilled workers had a vote. They could bring direct pressure on the political parties.

In 1868 the first Trade Union Congress met in Manchester. Union aimed at sending workingmen to Parliament.

During the 19th century there had been trade unionist MPs.

The Trade Union Congress of 1890 appealed government to help to improve the living conditions of the British Labor.

In 1893, the Independent Labor Party was founded. And it demanded a legal 8-hour day, no overtime, no child labor.

In 1893, Independent Labor Party, too idealistic and individualistic to become a mass party.

In 1900, Labor Representation Committee, to promote in Parliament the interests of labor.

In 1906, Labor Party, for the general election, later became the main opposition party after participated in the war coalition 联盟 government, finally formed minority governments.

In 1924, the Labor Party had become strong enough to control majority in the House of Common.

Colonial Expansion

In the 17th and 18th centuries the old colonial movement reached its height.

The great long-term result of the early colonialism was that the New World was discovered and Europeanized.

The economic root of the new imperialism was the rise of industrial and financial capitalism seeking new markets and new fields of profitable investment.

In North America and Oceania , [әuʃi`ænɪə ] 大洋州 the English government took a more flexible policy in its foreign expansion.

After Seven Year’s War, (1756-1763) the Treaty of Paris was signed and the whole

Canada was ceded to Britain; In 1774, Quebec Act, 魁北克法 guaranteed

French rights.

1791 Canada Act, Canada divided into Upper (Ontario) Canada for British and Lower (Quebec) Canada for French.

From 1837 to1838,the Canadians revolted against the English control but was crushed.

In 1848 Canada was allowed to have internal self-government.

In 1867 the British North America Act 英国北美法案 made Canada a dominion with four provinces: Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick which with a government similar to Great Britain’s.

By 1878 the whole of British North America, became a part of the dominion except for Newfoundland.

Australia

In1600s, Australia was first discovered by Dutch.

In 1770, James Cook claimed the east coast region for Britain, name it New South Wales.

In1788, Britain began to transport convicts 犯人 to there until 1840.

Settlements all round the coast developed into self-governing colonies gradually joined together until In1901 they were united in one dominion.

New Zealand

New Zealand is a small country that is like Britain.

It was claimed by Captain James Cook in 1769.

In 1642, sighted by the Dutch seaman Abel Tasman, name it the Netherlands 尼德兰 province of Zeeland. 西兰

In 1840 Britain drew up a treaty with Maoris .[`məʊri] 毛利人

In 1841, It became separate colony under Treaty of Waitangi. 外塘奇条约

In1852, New Zealand achieved self-government;

In 1907, New Zealand became dominion under the British crown.

In1931, It completely independent.

India

In 1600, British East India Company was formed a case of economic penetration which made British government became directly involved in Indian affairs.

In1784, India Act, set up a “Board of Control” 控制委员会 to supervise 监督 the Company, further intervention;

In1857, a revolt by the soldiers broke out.

The Sepoys [`sipɒi] 印度兵 soldiers refused to use the new cartridges [`ka:tridʒ] 子弹 greased [gri:s] 涂油脂 with cow-fat and pig-fat for the Hindus 印度教 regarded cow sacred and Mohammedan [məʊ`hæmidәn] 伊斯兰教 , 回教徒 thought pigs unclean.

The mutiny 兵变 was put down by English in 1859.

In 1877 ,Queen Victoria became Empress of India.

The title Empress of India was given to Queen Victoria in 1877 when India was formally incorporated into the British Empire.

It is said Victoria's desire for such a title was motivated partially out of jealousy of the Imperial titles of some of her royal cousins in Germany and Russia.

Prime minister Benjamin Disraeli is usually credited 赞同 with having given her the idea.

When Victoria died and her son Edward VII ascended the throne, his title became Emperor of India.

The title continued until India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947.

Africa

DUTCH RULE IN THE CAPE COLONY

South Africa of the English

Boer War

Britain took Cape Town 开普顿 during Napoleon‘s wars (1803-1815), there was a large population of Dutch farmers, called Boers 布尔人 .

In1652, Cape Town was set up by Dutch East India Company. In1806, Cape Town was occupied by Britain to protect its route to India.

In 1814, the occupation officially recognized by the Netherlands.

1835-1836, the Boers moved northward and formed two separate states, the Transvaal 特兰斯法尔 and the Orange Free State 桔树自由洲 .

But the English desire for expansion resulted Boer War. (1880-1881)

Boers win the war. 1899-1902 the British defeated Boers

and annexed the two states.

In 1910, Union of South Africa ( consisting four states : Cape Town 开普顿 , Natal 纳塔尔 , Transvaal 特兰斯法尔 , Orange Free State 桔树自由洲 ) was established and then became a dominion.

The British gave independence to her African colonies, the Union cut of last ties with the crown.

Egypt

French built the Suez Canal, and owned half the shares of it.

Britain bought the remaining shares from the Egyptian ruler in 1875.

In 1879, Britain crushed revolt in Egypt, and occupied it at the same time.

In 1881, revolt led by the nationalist Mahdi 马赫迪 took place .

In 1899, It was under joint- Anglo-Egyptian rule.

Suez Canal

China

In 1830s, the English merchants began to smuggle opium into China from India.

In 1839, Lin Zexu burned two million jin opium.

In 1840, the British colonists launched aggressive war against China.

The Qing government was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking in which cede Hong Kong to Britain and agreed to pay ￡ 4.5 million and to open five treaty ports.

Opium Smokers

The Second war (1856-1858) ended with the treaties of Tianjin and China was forced to open 11 ports. (1858).

By the end of 19th century ,the British Empire climbed to its peak.

They took one –fifth of the world land ; ruled over population of 560 million.

No wonder the British bourgeoisie boasted that their empire was a sun-never-setting empire.

The British Empire Occupied 33million sq. km., taking up one-fifth of the world’s total land.

This area was about 135 times as large as Great Britain.(244,820sq.km.)

It ruled over a population of 560 million, which was more than ten times as large as that in Britain.