The colonies also offered money-making opportunities for wealthy Englishmen and provided England’s poor and unemployed with new places to live and new jobs.īut they weren’t alone. These colonies would provide England with valuable materials, like metals, sugar and tobacco, which they could also sell to other countries. The 16th Century is often referred to as the ‘ Age of Discovery‘ – new thinking about the world and better shipbuilding led to more exploration and the discovery of new lands.Įngland, in what is now Britain, wanted more land overseas where it could build new communities, known as colonies. This was no different with the British Empire… What was the British Empire? Throughout history, empire builders have introduced new people, practices and rules to their ‘new’ lands and used its resources for their own gain, at the expense of the indigenous people – the people that inhabited the land first. For example, the Roman Empire (1st – 5th Centuries A.D.) stretched all the way from Britain to Egypt.

Those lands can be close by or even thousands of miles away. Empires are built by countries that wish to control lands outside of their borders. What is an empire?Įmpire is a term used to describe a group of territories ruled by one single ruler or state. This brought huge changes to societies, industries, cultures and the lives of people all around the world. In the 16th Century, Britain began to build its empire – spreading the country’s rule and power beyond its borders through a process called ‘ imperialism‘. Let’s find out more in our British Empire facts… And today more than ever, people are recognising, questioning and understanding the full story behind this important part of world history. Spanning over 400 years, historians continue to research and discover new things about the British Empire.

Ancient empires total war