Study Guides

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 whether life improved for Black Jamaicans living under British rule during the 1860s.

Key Notes

• Most of colonial Jamaica's population was Black.
• In the early 1860s, Black Jamaicans suffered from widespread political and socioeconomic difficulties.
• In 1865, Black Jamaicans rebelled against British rule during the Morant Bay Rebellion.
• Jamaica became a Crown Colony after the Morant Bay Rebellion.
• No financial assistance was provided to combat poverty after the Morant Bay Rebellion.

Vocabulary To Learn

• House of Assembly: the House of Assembly was the group of politicians who were responsible for making many of the laws in colonial Jamaica
• discrimination: discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of someone because of characteristics such as their sex, race or religion
• abolish: if you abolish something, you have put an official end to it

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Governor Grant's reforms after the Morant Bay Rebellion reduced the problem of poverty for Black Jamaicans.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Gunboat diplomacy and the British Empire in East Asia Study Guide
• Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire Study Guide
• The British Empire and the Scramble for Africa Study Guide
• The British Empire in India Study Guide
• Transformation in the British Empire Study Guide