History of the English Empire

History of the English Empire England Empire Colonies In 1883, the British historian J.R. Seeley surveyed his nations empire with bemusement: â€Å"We seem to have conquered and peopled half the world in a fit of absence of mind.† When you consider the various American empires before c.1815, would you argue that they were acquired and maintained absentmindedly? In his collection of lectures entitled The Expansion of England, J.R. Seeley exasperatingly stated that the creation and growth of the British empire had been met with â€Å"a fit of absence of mind.† Seeley detailed the worrying trend amongst his contemporaries that the American colonies had not yielded sufficient profit for Britain, while the loss of the British American colonies had been as inevitable as the ripening of fruit. This sentiment was inextricably linked to the fact that Britain had endowed its American colonies with liberty and representative government, while not obsessively exerting metropolitan authority; conducive factors to the American revolution. As Britain had lacked the explicit notion of conquest in determining her imperial project in North America, and was rather, and primarily, a commercial empire, the question as to whether the various imperial projects had been conducted in â€Å"absence of mind† is raised. The fact that the British, French, and Dutch American empires were commercial ventures conducted by private individuals and companies to settle and procure profit from America, highlights the somewhat ad hoc maintenance of empire. However, to suggest that the foundation and settlement of the various American empires was done in an exclusively non-purposeful manner across the five centuries in which the continent was discovered, settled, and economically exploited is problematic. The sheer duration of the American empires puts to question how the various empires would have spanned centuries if they had been acquired and maintained absentmindedly. Further, in assessing the conquest of South America by the Spanish, an empire intrinsically founded on the spirit of the conquistador and mineral exploitation, the suggestion of absent-minded imperialism is further put to question. In addition to the problem of synthesising the various imperial missions under the questionable label of inattentiveness, there also lies the inherent issue that Seeley did not consciously intend to accuse the various American empires of governing with an â€Å"absence of mind†. Thus, the issues raised by the duration and ideological differentiation of the American empires cloud any simple creation of a definitive conclusion as to how, and by whom, the empires were acquired and maintained. From the foundation of the first British colony at Jamestown in 1606 to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the British American empire to which Seeley referred to had spanned one-hundred and seventy years. This colonial longevity implicitly puts to question the sign of an absent-minded empire. Although there was no singular, cohesive force which settled, economically-exploited, and governed the American empires, there was purpose to be found in all the imperial projects. The fact that there was not one, but several, interwoven missions with different intentions and outcomes obscures the purposeful nature of the imperial projects.However, the very inception of the American empires clearly displayed purpose.In the royal charters granted by Elizabeth I and Henry VII, explorers such as Sir Walter Raleigh were given prerogatives to locate and conquer suitable areas of the New World for English possession. The creation of colonies had a two-fold purpose; to emulate the economic success of Spainand create ting new areas of commerce and agricultural produce for England. Indeed, not only were royal charters granted by European monarchs to explorers seeking to claim and settle the Americas, but they were also granted to trading companies. This delegation of power showed pragmatic solutions to the acquisition of the virgin American markets. As the British, French, and Dutch states did not have enough capital to run the risk of acquiring new land, it was the purpose of companies such as the Plymouth and London groups to settle New England and the Chesapeake and to create agricultural produce and symbiotic trading agreements with the natives present there. Therefore, the control exuded by the private companies in the American empires should not suggest absent-mindedness on behalf of the mother countries, but rather, a practical measure to maximise profit and minimise investment in an untested and perhaps ruinous scheme. In describing the â€Å"absence of mind† of the British state, Seeley highlighted the issue of reluctant British imperialism and that this reluctance led to imperial disorganisation, which ultimately epitomised the absence of mind which he aimed to identify. However, this was not a direct attack on the commercial nature of the American colonies, but rather Seeley aimed to highlight a lack of a cohesive imperial identity which primarily referred to Britains Indian empire. Seeley states quite openly that â€Å"our acquisition of India was made blindly† while â€Å"when our first settlers went out to Virginia and New England We did intend to establish a new community†. Thus, by first allowing private investors to settle and acquire an economic base in America, followed by a direct application of metropolitan control when the colonies began to prosper, the British state had indeed acquired and maintained her commercial empire with purpose. The beneficial economic motives which led to the granting of a royal charter for Jamestown in 1606 resulted in the eventual if tortuous prosperity of the colony; identifying the commercial purpose of the British American empire. Even though it took several decades for Jamestown to prosper and be fully recognised by metropolitan authority in England may suggest a tenuous link for imperial purpose and direct control. But, by the seventeenth century, the British state had created the Navigation Act of 1660 which sought to consolidate previous economic regulations and ultimately, make trade more prosperous for England. By stating that no goods could be imported or exported into territories owned by Charles II, unless carried in English vessels, ensured the commercial hegemony of England in her American colonies. This coherent economic regulation, legislated just fifty-four years after the foundation of Jamestown, testifies to a purposeful maintenance of Britains commercial empire. Furthermore, the power of the British metropole, epitomised in the increased regulatory interference in the post-Seven Years War climate shows further purposeful maintenance of the American colonies. After Britain had curtailed French and Spanish power in North America, the British state aimed to apply the dictates of a centrally-based parliament, obsessed with the concept of sovereignty. This ideological shift primarily resulted from the altered power structure created in the aftermath of the Seven Years War. Due to a British sentiment that the colonies had defiantly dragged their feet during the course of the war combined with the fact that Britain defeated its imperial rivals in course becoming a hegemonic force in North America created a perceptible power shift. In creating a monopoly of power, the economic and political status of colonists and Indians worsened, culminating in Pontiacs rebellion and the subsequent grievances and retaliations of white settlers, such as the Paxton Boys, placing Britain in an unprecedented situation. In response to the increasing frontier disputes, growing prejudices between settlers and Native Americans, and the changed power-structure present after the Seven Years War, the metropolitan became increasingly authoritative in colonial legislation. Parliamentary revenue acts were enacted to pay for a ten-thousand strong land army to maintain authority in the colonies; the Royal Proclamation of 1763 aimed to reinforce the Crowns control of new colonies in North America, while the Stamp Act of 1765 attempted to apply direct taxation to the American colonies. This shift in metropolitan attitude, following the Seven Years War, was to become significant in the colonial grievances leading up to the Declaration of Independence while showing direct evidence of the purposeful governance of the Britains American empire. Nevertheless, the assertion that the American empires were acquired and maintained absentmindedly is not baseless, and can be persuasively attributed to the commercial empires of North America. The limited design and short-sighted nature of the various imperial projects is especially evident in the creation of some of the first American colonies in the early seventeenth century. The initial setbacks of the English colonies at Roanoke which completely vanished and Jamestown, which witnessed continual deprivationand ruinous warfare against the Powhattan empire to the similar failure of Cartiers French colonies shows the limited design and purpose behind the formative American colonies. The fact that such ventures failed for simple, and surmountable, reasons such as lack of supply and poor location and suffered initial, and unnecessary, setbacks in declaring war against Native Americans, showed that the American empires, from the very beginning, had limited success and little central control. In essence, Jamestown was not the centre of metropolitan attention, most of its initial settlers quickly died, and by 1622 the Virginia Company was close to bankruptcy. Indeed, the sixteenth and seventeenth century French and English explorers and settlers initially sought the lucrative promise of Gold and Silver akin to the Spanish discovery and exploitation in South America. Explorers such as Raleigh and Cartier became obsessed with the acquisition of precious metalsin a vain attempt to match the prosperity of the Spanish empire. Therefore the English and French colonies, following the absence of a codified plan, essentially stumbled, half-reluctantly, upon their system of agricultural produce and commerce,in lieu of Gold. Moreover, the criticism applied to the absent-minded metropole in the foundation of the American colonies can be further applied to the ad hoc maintenance of the American empire. Since private companies and individuals had been in control of colonial affairs in varying senses and had been granted differing vested powers, the maintenance of metropolitan authority was not cohesive. Effective metropolitan control was not in place until the radically altered political structure following the Seven Years War in America. Indeed, rather than the Seven Years War being perceived as a prime example of purposeful metropolitan maintenance of an economic and political empire, it was the increase in metropolitan authority after 1763 which highlighted previous absent-mindedness regarding America. Until the latter half of the eighteenth century, metropolitan authority had been a secondary premise behind the commercial nature of the American empire, which was founded not on exploitation, but the granting of political freedoms, liberty, and local representation. Given the general perception that the British, French and Dutch empires began ignominiously in the seventeenth century, while the respective States ruled their mercantilist empires with a laissez-faire attitude, it would seem apt to label their imperial experiences as absent-minded. However, despite the initial setbacks in America, each of the American empires did aim to settle and govern their colonies in the best interest of commerce. Trade was the pre-eminent motive for the investors of the Virginia company, while specific instructions were given to prospective colonists of Jamestown to maximise productivity. Further, the nature of French imperialism in North America shown in the system of trading posts on the St. Lawrence and Mississippi River, epitomises the commercial presence of the European powers in America. In presiding over a large portion of sparsely populated land the French sought to create a monopoly of trade with the Native Americans without impinging on territory or imposing a large army; their empire was built on a trade relationship in which both the French traders and state, as well as the natives, benefited. Further, in the small colonies of the New Netherlands and New Sweden, army deployment and state control was similarly weak, creating the perfect environment for lucrative trade. Indeed, a recurring theme in Shortos depiction of the New Netherlands was the realisation made by explorers and governors that the Dutch colony was situated in an optimum location for the control of trade along the seaboard and into the American interior. This proved that it was the identification and exploitation, through colonisation, of prosperous economic regions which was important to European imperial regimes; suggesting a purposeful maintenance of the commercial North American empires. The argument for absent-minded imperialism further falls apart when applied to the Spanish style of empire employed in South America. The Spanish state, while recognising the commercial benefits of the South American colonies, acquired and maintained her empire purposefully. Inspired by the legitimisation to New World conquest granted by the Alexandrine Bulls and through the use of the requerimiento, the Spanish pursued an empire of conquest intent on the subjugation of the native peoples, exploitation of bullion, and the evangelisation of the native population. By conquering the Aztec and Mayan empires in the sixteenth century and exploiting abundant gold and silver deposits, the South American Spanish Viceroyalties were intrinsically founded on the Spirit of Conquestwith an aim to increase Spanish power via the importation of bullion. The Spanish thus used the plunder and mineral deposits of South America as a means to increase their power in Europe and to consolidate their position in the Americas. Furthermore, the central nature of this debate, that of Seeleys bemusement at the imperial absence of mind in America, has had its original intention taken out of context. Seeley saw the American empire as an integral part of Greater Britain which had been unfairly neglected by British historians. By declaring that the â€Å"absence of mind†, Seeley was referring to the fact that Britains imperial project in America had failed to alter British perceptions of Great Britain, that it had failed to â€Å"change our ways of thinking† and that â€Å"we do not reckon our colonies as really belonging to us†. Thus the â€Å"absence of mind† was not directed at the acquisition and maintenance of empire, but rather at the â€Å"indifference which we show towards the mighty phenomenon of the diffusion of our race and the expansion of our state.† To conclude, the declaration that the American empires were acquired and maintained with a complete absence of mind is incorrect. Each European imperial project had differing intentions, were settled by different individuals and spanned across centuries, and so a sense of continued purpose was inevitably lost. But there was, of course, purpose behind the imperial projects, or they would not have been settled or economically exploited in the first place. Both France and England settled in America for commercial interests while the Spanish purposefully exploited the economic wealth of South America. Further, the importance of questioning J.R. Seeleys quote cannot be understated. He was not necessarily accusing Britain of an absence of mind in regards to America, but rather in a historical sense; that the greatness of the imperial schemes had be ignored, and a re-assessment of the importance and centrality it held to British history must be made. Bibliography Appelbaum, Robert (ed.)Envisioning an English Empire: Jamestown and the Making of the North Atlantic World (2005). Armitage, David,The Ideological Origins of the British Empire (Cambridge, 2000). Elliott, John, Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830 (New Haven, 2006). The Old World and the New, 1492-1650 (Cambridge, 1970). Games, Alison, Migration and the Origins of the English Atlantic World (Cambridge,  1999). Pagden, Anthony,Lords of all the World: Ideologies of Empire in Spain, Britain and France, c.1500 – 1800 (New Haven, 1995). Richter, Daniel,Facing East from Indian Country (Cambridge, Mass., 2001). Samson, Jane (ed.)The British Empire (Oxford, 2001). Seed, Patricia, Ceremonies of Possession in Europes conquest of the New World, 1492 – 1640 (Cambridge, 1995). Seeley, J.R.,The Expansion of England (London, 1883). A Declaration and Remonstrance of the Distressed and Bleeding Frontier Inhabitants of the Province of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1764)

Costco Ethics Essay

Costco wholesale follows a very strict code of ethics, which are strongly enforced with their compliance program. Costco’s ultimate mission is to provide their members with quality goods and services at the lowest price possible. In order for Costco to achieve their mission, they must abide by their simple code of ethics which consist of, obeying the law, taking care of their members, taking care of their employees, and respecting their suppliers. Upon success of these four codes, they have the ability to reward their shareholders, which is their ultimate goal. In order for Costco to implement their code of ethics, they must follow an austere compliance program. Costco must first appoint or retain a Chief Compliance Officer who directly reports to the Nominating and Governance Committee of Costco’s Board of directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee is made up of several independent directors whom have the responsibility to develop ideas, and give recommendations to the board corporate governance guidelines. In order for the Chief Compliance Officer to understand the whole process, and compliance program itself, he or she must retain their position for at least three years. Within these three years, he or she must report to the Governance Committee at least twice a year in regards to compliances issues, and the relay of information between the financial reporting department and the financial planning department. Also the Chief Compliance Officer must report to the independent accounting firm or law firm at least once a year. The Chief Compliance Officer’s initial duty is to coordinate and oversee the following areas: to improve Costco’s already set compliance program, revising the Code of Ethics to make it easily understood for their employees, spreading the compliance and ethical standards to officers and employees, improving the employee training program, to look for and address unethical behavior, enhancing the â€Å"whistle blower† program for anonymous accusations, to check on senior executives to ensure their participation in the ethics and compliance program, and lastly to ultimately oversee internal investigations involving financial fraud. To guarantee that information is properly shared between the internal departments responsible for Costco’s equity compensation program there is written procedures to be followed. The departments that are mainly responsible for following this procedure are the financial reporting department, and the financial planning department. These departments are mandated to meet for at least three years for quarterly meetings attended with the Chief Compliance Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller and the supervisors of both departments.

How can we make India clean Essay

How true these words sound in the present context. There is so much pollution all around us today that normal breathing in itself is the greatest risk to our lives. Pollution has affected our lives so adversely that because of this, millions of people die annually. The way the environment is being polluted today stands testimony to the fact that we are irresponsible occupants of this Earth and by polluting the air; we are meticulously working towards our own destruction. According to the World Health Organisation, about 2.8 million people each year die due to indoor pollution (over 500,000 occur in China alone). These data should act as an eye-opener for all of us. Smoke emitting from industries, factories, vehicles and even cigarettes is a major source of air pollution. It is due to air pollution that a number of diseases have surfaced. There are several respiratory diseases, which affect us adversely. Cigarette smoking is not injurious to the health of only those who smoke cigarett es but also to those who come in contact with the smoke emitted from the cigarettes. What is worse is that most of us understand the ill-effects of pollution, yet we are so indifferent towards our own health that we do not avoid the avoidable. Stoves, LPG and other non-conventional sources of energy should be used for cooking and the bursting of firecrackers should be reduced. Therefore, if we prevent air pollution, we not only keep ourselves healthy but also our historical monuments. Another major source of pollution today is water pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of water by sewage, toxic chemicals, metals, oils, or other substances. Diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery are the ill-effects of polluted water. The wastes that are thrown in the rivers and lakes by us mainly pollute water. It is due to this that the water supplied to us in our homes is impure and consumption of which leads to man) dreaded diseases. The biomedical waste from hospitals is not processed properly and is thrown in nearby rivers. The waste materials from factories and industries are also disposed of in the same manner. Therefore, it leads: to high levels of water pollution. Not only this, people throw dry flower used for puja and other religious functions in rivers due to which water gets badly contaminated and unfit for use. In fact, due to high levels of water po llution, marine animals die an untimely death and are on the verge of extinction today. In a healthy water system, a cycle of natural processed turns wastes into useful or harmless substances. The cycle begins when organisms called aerobic bacteria use the oxygen dissolved in water to digest wastes. This digestion process releases nitrates, phosphates an other nutrients. Algae and aquatic green plants absorb these nutrients. Zooplanktons eat the algae, and fish eat the zooplankton. The fish, in turn, may be eaten by larger fish. These larger animals come in contact with other animals and in turn the process of biological contamination cycle continues. Another form of pollution that threatens our peace today is sound pollution. It is so irksome when music is played at high volumes in parties and vehicles. Today, the levels of sound pollution are so high that the Supreme Court had to intervene and pass orders recently to impose a restriction on the playing of bands and loud music between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. The vehemence of music disturbs students, patients, old and other people we want some rest after a long day’s work. The sound of the bawling horns is a headache in itself. Everybody is in a hurry and therefore, the use of horns is made without much though Horns disrupt pe ace to the extent that these can be heard even in the ‘no-horn’ zones. Although noise does not poll the air, water, or land, but it can cause discomfort and hearing loss human beings and other animals. Soil pollution is also an important mode of pollution. When the ear thin layer of healthy, productive soil is destroyed where food is grown it is called soil erosion. Healthy soil depends on bacteria, fungi, and small animals to break down wastes in the soil and release nutrients. These nutrients help plants grow. Fertilisers and pesticides can limit the ability of soil organisms to process wastes. As a result, farmers who oven fertilizers and pesticides can destroy their soil’s productivity and are causing many diseases to the people. Not only this, even irrigation in dry areas without proper drainage system can lead to water logging in the fields. it can lead to famines because soil pollution will lead to a poor quality of soil, which in turn will lead to poor crops. Therefore, soil pollution is extremely dangerous. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to control the rising levels of any form of pollution. We must get our vehicles checked regularly and if the smoke emitting from them is higher than the normal lev el, it should be repaired. Use of firecrackers should be minimized and cigarette smoking should be given up. We must take a vow never to throw any waste materials in the rivers or lakes because that water comes back to us as drinking water. We must take an initiative to  prevent others also from doing so. Hospitals must collect their biomedical wastes and dispose of them in a proper manner. Some should be done with the waste materials from factories and industries. Recycling should be made a practice and children should be taught how to recycle simple things in school. This practice will make them to recycle things rather than throw them like garbage. The volume of our music systems should be kept low so that others are not disturbed. Even in parties these should be stopped after some time to avoid noise pollution and inconvenience to others. Thus, only when we decide to do our duty to keep our dear planet clean, we can succeed in controlling pollution. Only then we can make this world’s better place to live for you and for me’.

The Issue Of American Patriotism - 1453 Words

Nationalism and patriotism is a very touchy subject for some people just due to the fact of everyone having their own opinion on what it means. Some people just do not know the difference between the two, or just don’t know if there even is a difference. They are very often commonly confused as the same thing and I can see why at first glance, but after searching this subject on many credible sources I have come to find many clarifying and interesting facts on this particular topic. First of all, the actual definition of American patriotism is the pride and devotion to one’s homeland. As everything does, there are pros and cons to being a patriot. For example, a pro would be that it leads us to feel proud of and for our county. That†¦show more content†¦Unless your knowledge is of a universal type, equally useful and valued anywhere; then it makes no difference where you live, as long as you enjoy your life. Another being specialization; patriotism instinctively guides citizens to discover their natural and cultural specialties: their own resources, traditions, industries, and identity that has existed for ages. They will not imitate or copy another country blindly. Loving a place makes one automatically love, learn, cherish, and improve the special qualities about it/them. A couple of the others are commitment and security. Most cons of patriotism fall under the category of centralization being harmful. They claim that the benefits enjoyed by ce ntralized countries will eventually be shared by everyone worldwide. They say that it is not a big problem to desert some countries as long as citizens are happy and successful elsewhere. They also claim that in over populated countries, or those with high unemployment rates, its better when people leave. I do not neccesarily agree with all of this but I do think the majority of the claims made are true. 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