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A Cultural History of the British Empire

Online ISBN:
9780300268812
Print ISBN:
9780300260786
Publisher:
Yale University Press
Book

A Cultural History of the British Empire

John MacKenzie
John MacKenzie
Lancaster University
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Published online:
18 May 2023
Published in print:
6 December 2022
Online ISBN:
9780300268812
Print ISBN:
9780300260786
Publisher:
Yale University Press

Abstract

As the British Empire expanded across the globe, it exported more than troops and goods. In every colony, imperial delegates dispersed British cultural forms. Facilitated by the rapid growth of print, photography, film, and radio, imperialists imagined this new global culture would cement the unity of the empire. But this remarkably wide-ranging spread of ideas had unintended and surprising results. This book examines the importance of culture in British imperialism. The book describes how colonized peoples were quick to observe British culture — and adapted elements to their own ends, subverting British expectations and eventually beating them at their own game. As indigenous communities integrated their own cultures with the British imports, the empire itself was increasingly undermined. From the extraordinary spread of cricket and horse racing to statues and ceremonies, the book presents an engaging imperial history — one with profound implications for global culture in the present day.

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