Resistance and Human Costs
In addition to studying about reasons for building an empire, the greatest empire the world has ever known, and about the famous and rich empire builders, this website will help students build a fuller picture of colonisation in its totality.
The Web pages provide evidence to help students explore important and relevant questions like:
How did colonisation take place? Page link
What happened at different stages:
- before a place was colonised,
- the early stages of being colonised,
- when fully colonised,
- ongoing issues arising after colonisation?
What types of resistance did the British colonisers encounter:
- from the indigenes,
- from other interested parties e.g. other countries,
- from the British public,
- from the British Government?
What were the effects on people:
- the colonisers (i.e. officers on the ground),
- the colonised?
What sources of evidence are available? Does each support or challenge the other? How?
Page link
These page links are suggestions only. Evidence for a particular investigation may be found on other pages. Give students plenty of time to explore page contents of the website.
Students could also research contents for debate topics like:
- Colonisation was a good thing.
- Private merchant companies were only interested in making profits in the colonies.
- Every officer who gave their life for the colonisation cause should be remembered.
- We should not shy away from our colonial history.
- Everyone benefited from colonisation.
- British Empire had to come to an end.
Key Stage 3 history curriculum links
Pupils should be taught about:
- ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
British colonisation of other places during the period between 1745-1901 is an interesting aspect of British history which will engage students:
- It was the period during which the modern world was carved out.
- Advancement in technology during the time enabled photographs and written accounts like diaries to be recorded in great details by those involved in the events.
- A variety of evidence for this period are easily available so veracity can be checked.