Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire
I can explain the importance of Charles Darwin's ideas for British imperialism in the mid-19th century.
Social Darwinism and race in the British Empire
I can explain the importance of Charles Darwin's ideas for British imperialism in the mid-19th century.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- 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.
Keywords
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 misconception
Ideas of racial superiority were the only justification for British imperialism.
Cultural and religious beliefs such as a belief in the superiority of Christianity helped to justify an encourage British imperialism throughout the 19th century.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
territories ruled over by another country
collection of territories ruled by a single person or government
refers to a country's expansion of the territory under its control