BRITISH EMPIRE TIMELINE

Blue = Economic/social events Red = Imperial political events

1854
- (1854-56) Ferdinand de Lesseps (French) got a concession from Egypt to create a company to
construct a canal for int. shipping
1857
- Indian Mutiny (until 1858)
1858
- India becomes crown colony (formal Raj)
- Treaty of Tientsin obliges China to open more ports to Britain
- Burton and Speke discovered Lake Tanganyika
- Suez Canal set up
- Government of India Act - EIC territories to Queen and position of Secretary of State for India
created. Creation of council of 15 members & crown appoints viceroy to replay comps Governor-
General. ICS under control of Secretary of State
1859
- 1859-61 Viceroy Canning done tour of India to win back those who felt alienated by Brit rule
Star of India medal introduced, some lands/titles returned to native Indians, positions in
Imperial Assembly/civil service shared with Indian nobility & more education establishments
1860
- Speke’s expedition to locate source of Nile (until 1863)
1865
- Commercial agreements extended informal empire into Latin America (Chile/Argentina…)
British public capital in L.America was over £80million & had 10% of British imports/exports
1866
- Livingstone’s 3rd journey in Africa to look for source of Nile (until 1873)
- Victoria producing £124 million worth of gold - ⅓ of total world production.
- Mary Carpenter travelled to India to improve female education.
1867
- Canada becomes a Dominion.
- Diamond discovered in West Griqualand in SA
- Reforms Act - extended vote from 650k to 1.5 million men
1868
- Colonial secretary founded.
- British annexed Basutoland
1869
- Suez Canal opened then, it was brought by Benjamin Disraeli
1870
- By 1870s 40% of Egypt’s imports from Britain
- Education Act - Increased national literacy rates
1871
- Stanley finds Livingstone.
- Annexation of Griqualand West to Cape Colony (Given to the Boers)
1872
- Cape Colony granted responsible government.
1873
- Onset of Great (Long) Depression
- Death of Livingstone
- Griqualand East established by 2000 Griquas travelling east
1874
- Gold Coast becomes a colony
- Stanley’s expedition to search for source of Nile (until 1877)
1875
- PM Benjamin Disraeli secures controlling stake in Suez Canal - bought shares for £4 million from
Isma’il Pasha after high debts.
1876
- Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India
- Anglo-French control of Egyptian finances
- Brussels Conference - King Leopold of Belgium called conference due to desire to protect
Belgium interests in Congo.
European intervention necessary as Africans incapable of producing nat.resources, routes to
Africa’s lakers needs development (roads/railways) & Int. African Association to coordinate
Europeans’ efforts.
1877
- Annexation of Transvaal
- Delhi durbar
- Sir Bartle Frere appointed High Commissioner for South Africa
1878
- Afghan War begins (until 1880) - Lytton invaded Afghanistan
1879
- Zulu War begins (until 1880)
- Isma’il deposed by Ottoman Sultan due to domestic and Anglo-French pressure
1880
- First Boer War begins (until 1881)
1881
- Mahdist uprising/revolt in Sudan (until 1898)
- British defeated at Majuba Hill by Boers, over 150 Britons killed
- Pretoria Convention restores independence to Transvaal, but British claimed right to
control external affairs
1882
- Political tension went to streets of Alexandria where 50 europeans died
- Sir Garnet Wolseley secured Suez Canal with British forces defeating Arabi’s forces at Tel el-Kabir
- Tewfiq became a puppet ruler and occupation of Egypt began
1883
- Evelyn Baring made Consul-General of Egypt
- Robert Hart appointed head of Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Office (CIMCO)
1884
- Berlin Conference (until 1885) discusses colonisation in Africa, concluded with signing of
General Act
All nations allowed trade in basin of Congo and its outlets. There should be free trade in those
regions, powers of influence in area to protect indigenous people/end slave trade…
- Parliamentary Reforms Act - Extended vote to 5.5 million men
- Imperial Federation League formed to establish closer colonies ties (disbanded in 1893)
1885
- Gordon killed in Khartoum (Sudan) - Beheaded in Mahdist Revolt
 - Indian National Congress formed
- Bechuanaland and Niger Coast Protectorates established as strategic attempt to prevent combo
of German and Boer colonies
- Gladstone resigned after overseeing 1884 Parliamentary Reforms Act
1886
- Discovery of gold in South Africa, gold deposits found in Witwatersrand - promoted gold rush
for poor Dutch-Boer republic
- 30,000 workers travelled to Transvaal gold mines from Britain - needed skilled labourers
- Royal Niger Company receives charter
- Colonial and Indian Exhibition in South Kensington
- Anglo-German agreement over spheres of influence in East Africa
- First Indian National Congress meets
- China recognises British control of Burma
1887
- Zululand becomes a Protectorate
1888
- Imperial British East Africa Company awarded charter
- Cook Islands become a British Protectorate
- Imperial Exhibition in Glasgow
- Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei become British Protectorates
- Cecil Rhodes amalgamates Kimberley Diamond Companies
1889
- British South Africa Company awarded a charter
- Rhodesia established
- Part of Nyasaland becomes a British Protectorate
1890
- Zanzibar becomes a British Protectorate due to treaty signed with Germany. Brit influence
in Zanzibar and German influence in Tanzania
- Golden age of newspaper publication (until 1914) due to tech advances in printing
- Agreement with French - French recognise British claim of Nigeria & British would recognise French
claim of Madagascar.
- Cecil Rhodes becomes PM of Cape Colony
- Diamonds found in Transvaal area led to formation of Kimberley Diamond Syndicate
- King Mwanga of Uganda signed treaty with Lord Lugard - ceded powers over revenue & admin. of
justice to B.E.A.Company. Powers given to crown (1894) & Buganda became protectorate
1893
- National Party al-Hizb al-Watani revived, attracted Egyptian lawyers/professionals & wanted
the end of British occupation/own representative govt
1894
- Uganda becomes a Protectorate
- Britain imported 64 million hundredweight of wheat - 30.7mil from USA, 17.2mil from Russia & 3.6mil
from Canada
1895
- British East Africa Protectorate established
- Jameson Raid (until 1896) - led by Rhodes and Dr Jameson
1896
- Joseph Chamberlain appointed Colonial Secretary
- Harmsworth produced cheap populist newspaper with Daily Mail aimed at lower-mid class &
during 2nd Boer War sold over 1million copies a day
- General Sir Herbert Kitchener appointed Commander-in-chief of Egyptian army