Britain 1750-1900 Key Word Search Select a Key Word American Civil War American Revolution Boer Wars British Empire Corn Laws India Industrial Revolution Napoleonic Wars Native Americans Peterloo Slavery Victoria

In 1750 Britain was about to begin the final stage of its colonial struggle with France. By 1763 the French Empire had been destroyed and Britain had become the dominant power in Europe. Britain also became the first industrial nation in the world and the first to adopt policies of free trade. From the 1760s British inventors developed new machinery and built factories that completely changed the ways that goods were manufactured. By the end of the 1840s Britain had become the 'workshop of the world'.

In the 1830s and 1840s a series of reforms gave the new middle classes more influence and began to undermine the position of the landed aristocracy. By 1900 most men could vote and the modern political parties had been created.

• Boer Wars  -  In the 19th century relations between the British Government and the Boers changed many times.
• Corn Laws  -  The first Corn Law was passed in 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic War.
• Industrial Revolution  -  In about 1700 a revolution began which was to change lives dramatically, especially in Europe. We still call it the Industrial Revolution.
• Napoleonic Wars  -  .
• Slavery  -  British colonies needed slaves for their cotton and tobacco plantations, so by the 18th century British merchants were making large profits from the slave trade.