HST3127   Contested Visions: Imagining an Empire in mid-nineteenth century Britain   (20 credits)

Description

British expansion did not result from a single, coherent imperial strategy, or a fit of `absence of mind¿; it developed from specific cross-cultural encounters and competing colonial visions. Some saw the Empire as a place of adventure, others an opportunity for Christianisation, still others as a `New World¿ in which to build a Greater Britain. These visions were always contested and challenged both overseas and in Britain. This module explores these contested visions and the impact of empire at home. It is structured around different `visions of empire¿ including those of humanitarians; missionaries; settlers; travellers; scientists and the British public.

Reading List