Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about a theme in British history over a period of roughly 1000 years. They examine this theme, analysing the impact it had in Medieval, Early Modern, Industrial and Modern Britain, with a particular focus on change and continuity.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to recall that the British government along with individuals like Cecil Rhodes took control of southern Africa after the Boer Wars.

Key Notes

• Cecil Rhodes made a fortune from gold and diamond mines in South Africa and gained political power there.
• Between 1860-1890 Britain invaded the Boer states in southern Africa due to the discovery of gold and diamonds.
• A peace settlement was reached in 1902 after Britain's use of a scorched earth policy and concentration camps.
• In 1910 the Cape Colony, Natal and Boer states merged to form South Africa, extending British control over Africa.
• The British government introduced social reforms in Britain due to the poor health of the troops that fought.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Cape Colony: British colony in southern Africa
• Boer: a member of the Dutch population which settled in southern Africa in the late 17th century
• scorched earth: the strategy of destroying crops and other resources to prevent their falling into enemy hands
• concentration camps: a camp for detaining prisoners, usually political prisoners
• Social Darwinism: the theory that the concept of natural selection applies to human societies and race

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Cecil Rhodes was Prime Minister of South Africa.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Angevin Empire Study Guide
• Experience of post-WW2 migrants in Britain Study Guide
• Factors causing westward migration Study Guide
• Huguenot migration Study Guide
• Impact of conquest and settlement on medieval Britain Study Guide
• Impact of empire on migration in and out of Britain Study Guide
• Irish migration to Britain in the 19th century Study Guide
• Jewish migration to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries Study Guide
• Movement within the British Empire Study Guide
• Post war migration to Britain: Migration from East Africa Study Guide
• Post war migration to Britain: The Falklands Study Guide
• Post war migration to Britain: The Windrush generation Study Guide
• The arrival of the Vikings Study Guide
• The colonisation of North America Study Guide
• The Danish conquest Study Guide
• The end of the British Empire in the 20th century Study Guide
• The Hundred Years' War Study Guide
• The impact of British rule in India Study Guide
• The impact of imperial propaganda in the 19th century Study Guide
• The impact of the EU on migrant experiences in Britain Study Guide
• The impact of the World Wars on migration to and from Britain Study Guide
• The Indian Rebellion Study Guide
• The Norman conquest (1066) Study Guide
• The origins of British rule in India Study Guide
• The scramble for Africa Study Guide
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade Study Guide
• The War of Independence Study Guide
• Ulster Plantations and Highland Clearances Study Guide
• What sources can tell us about the expansion of Empire Study Guide