In the 18th century, European powers combed the South Seas, searching out unexplored lands, treasures, and people. British ships, commanded by celebrated navigators, such as Captain James Cook, led the way. British sea power led to discoveries that would lay the foundations for its empire.

Then in the 18th and 19th centuries British plant hunters spread out across the world trading plants, transforming landscapes and building a commercial empire based on products such as tea, cotton and rubber.

The Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain first and it then exported products that the world wanted; railways, locomotives, steamships and the telegraph.

Britain’s empire was also one of conquest and credit; an empire based on money, on violence, and on the ability to employ large numbers of troops to fight.

In this episode of Empire Builders, we explore 10 sites that made history, and chart the rise and fall of the British empire.

Credits

Destination Guides

Asia

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Australia

Pacific

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Colonial Australia

Victoria

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Articles

Important Historical Sites of the British Empire

At its most powerful, the British Empire was the largest empire that the world had ever seen. Its influence stretched all over the globe; shaping it in all...

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Study Guide: A Brief Introduction to the...

Although bears little in common with any other revolution due to its lack of political context, the Industrial Revolution was nonetheless one of the most...

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Study Guide: The American War of Independence

This detailed Study Guide charts the The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), which was the armed conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its...

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