— British imperialism consisted of a globalized system of political, economic, cultural, and military power
— England's revolution in communication (telegraph) and transportation (steamship, railways) provided the framework for the export of technology, people, and capital, leading to an expansion of its power and influence around the world
— Britain sought sources for raw materials and markets for its manufactured goods, but also saw a moral responsibility “to protect the poor natives and advance civilization” through missionary societies and capitalist businessmen
— Early colonization was haphazard, often through private companies (such as the British East India Company) which were corrupt and self-serving, but as the century wore on, the British crown took over governance of its colonies but its ability to enforce its sovereignty was uneven and it never managed to unify its empire since decisions were largely were shaped by responses to local conditions by bureaucrats and governors advancing their careers
— Britain's technique of “indirect rule”, installing local rulers who governed their subjects on London's behalf, thus turning native populations against themselves, cost the empire, as England was obliged to fight over two hundred military actions during the Victorian era in order to maintain their sovereignty (the Indian Mutiny, The Crimean War, the massacre of Khartoum, the Boer War, etc)
“In political, economic, cultural, and, importantly, social ways, English life would have been literally unlivable without global networks of exploitation and trade there to sustain it.”--Nathan Hensley