Building Better Britains?: Settler Societies in the British World, 1783-1920 (International Themes and Issues)

The impact of empires and the lingering presence of colonialism continue to be major preoccupations for scholars in the twenty-first century. This concise text explores the spread of settler colonies within the British Empire over the course of the nineteenth century, specifically those in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. In Building Better Britains?, Cecilia Morgan examines how imperial powers reshaped the lives and landscapes of millions through colonial relationships with Indigenous peoples, and the processes of migration and settlement that facilitated the British Empire’s global expansion. Identity and culture in geographically diverse settler societies are compared, highlighting shared histories and the nuances that differentiated them. Morgan encourages readers to consider settler societies from multiple perspectives, including those of the colonists themselves. Eight maps and eight illustrations enhance the text, along with a bibliography and index. The effects of empires and the lingering presence of colonialism continue to be major preoccupations for scholars in the twenty-first century. This short new book explores the spread of settler colonies within the British Empire over the course of the nineteenth century-specifically those in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. 'Building Better Britains?' begins by examining colonial relationships with Indigenous peoples and the processes of migration and settlement that formed part of the British Empire's global expansion. It then moves on to discuss labour within settler economies as well as the domain of civil society-including family, domesticity, intimate relations, religion, and education. The book closes with an exploration of identity and culture in settler societies Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Maps......Page 14 Introduction......Page 22 Chapter 1: Colonial Frontiers and Contact Zones: Indigenous Peoples and Settler Encounters......Page 30 Chapter 2: “Peopling,” Settling, and Governing......Page 66 Chapter 3: Settler Economies: Local Contexts and Imperial Networks......Page 100 Chapter 4: Creating Civil Society......Page 128 Chapter 5: Creating Settler Identities......Page 162 Conclusion: Better Britains?......Page 200 Select Bibliography......Page 204 Index......Page 220 "The effects of empires, as well as their lingering presence in today's world, have become a major preoccupation for scholars in the early twentieth-first century academy. The British Empire is of particular focus because of the rapidity and range of British imperial expansion over this period. This short book looks at the spread of settler colonies within the British Empire over the course of the 19th century, specifically those in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia."-- Provided by publisher