Year 9 - History
Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire
The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about how the British Empire changed in the mid-nineteenth century. They examine the British Empire in India, Jamaica, East Asia, and Africa and evaluate the extent to which it was transformed during this period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the importance of Charles Darwin's ideas for British imperialism in the mid-19th century.
Key Notes
- The British Empire was very large and ruled over a diverse mix of people.
- Charles Darwin developed the theory of natural selection and evolution.
- Social Darwinism adapted Darwin's theories to claim that some groups of humans were superior to others.
- Social Darwinism was used to justify imperialism.
- Many ideas were used to justify British imperialism, such as the desire to spread Christianity.
Vocabulary To Learn
- empire: an empire is a collection of territories or countries ruled by a single person or government
- colonies: colonies are countries and territories ruled over by another country
- evolution: evolution is the process of gradual change which occurs over long periods of time
- Social Darwinism: Social Darwinism was the false claim that Charles Darwin's ideas apply to human societies, making some groups of people superior to others
- imperialism: imperialism refers to the control of one country over another and the expansion of a country's empire by gaining new colonies
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Ideas of racial superiority were the only justification for British imperialism.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The British Empire was very large and ruled over a diverse mix of people. Charles Darwin developed the theory of natural selection and evolution.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'empire'
an empire is a collection of territories or countries ruled by a single person or government.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Ideas of racial superiority were the only justification for British imperialism. Correction: Cultural and religious beliefs such as a belief in the superiority of Christianity helped to justify an encourage British imperialism throughout the 19th century.
More Lessons In This Unit
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