The Public and Imperialism 1890-1914
Youth and Empire
The popular press
Key Events that happened
Literature and Music
The Second Boer War 1899-1902
Education Reform 1870
Khaki Election 1900
Jameson Raid 1896
Conservatives lose election 1906
The 'Golden Age' of Newspaper publication
Technical advances in printing
Emergence of professional journalists with political agendas
Newspapers reached out to a new mass audience
almost everyone had access to a newspaper
The Daily Mail
Alfred Hamsworth
New form of cheap, populist newspaper
Established in 1896
aimed at the lower middle class market and sold at a lower price
During the Boer War it was selling over a million copies a day
stories of the war damning the Boers but praising the heroism of British Troops
Hobson criticised its 'crude sensationalism'
In early 20th Century it turned against the Germans
portrayed as posing a military threat to the Empire
serialised a number of patriotic books
The Spies of Wight Hill 1899
The Riddle of the Sands Childers 1903
The Enemy in Our Midst Wood 1906
When England Slept Curties 1909
Alfred Hamsworth
told the conservative party that the newspaper would provide loyal support against the movement towards social change
Passionate supporter of the British Empire
Idolised Cecil Rhodes and Joseph Chamberlain
Intended to use his newspaper to 'strum the Imperial Harp'
Very concerned about the dangers posed by Germany
Perhaps rated them too highly
Sent journalists to report on the German Army
Rudyard Kipling
did much to shape the attitudes of the public towards Empire before 1914
He was often critical of imperial administrators
Had an almost religious belief in Empire
filled his work with references to Britains 'higher goals'
The White Man's Burden
Take up the white man's burden, Send forth the best ye breed, go bind your sons to exile, to serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered fold and wild - your new caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child
his books were Victorian bestsellers
Literature
woman's writing included subtle encouragement for imperialism
Victorian bestsellers were the books of Kipling, Baker and Henty
Tales of military campaigns
Gertrude Page emigrated to Rhodesia in 1900 and produced over 20 novels bases on the lives and loves of fellow settlers
Mary Gaunt also wrote romantic novels
Anglo - Indian love stories proliferated from the 1890's
Music
Nationalist and Imperialist themes
played at coronations, jubilees, pageants and exhibitions
Gilbert and Sullivan operas which often conveyed a patriotic and imperialist message in a humorist way
Edward Elgar
Lots of imperialist musicians toured around the Empire to strengthen ties
deliberately sought to stimulate his listeners' emotions and create mental images which captured the 'nobility of the Empire'
wrote an 'Imperial March' for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee 1897
Imperialist messages spread through school books and lessons
Literature
more books and comics
adventure stories with imperialist themes
Brett's 'Boys of the Empire'
'Boys own paper' promotion of military and missionary activity
Leagues and Groups
Howard Handley Spicer setup the Boys' Empire League
7000 members in 1900
Baden Powell
set up the Boy Scout movement in 1908
set up the Girl Guides in 1912
designed to train defenders of Empire
extended to other countries in the Empire
Religious organisations for the youth also formed
Anglican Church Lads' Brigade 1890's
ABC for Baby Patriots
History and Geography lessons glorified the Empire
The Girl's Friendly Society
200,000 members by 1914
Representation of the people act 1884