To What Extent Was Empire a Source of Pride for People in Britain

To What Extent was Empire a source of pride for people in Britain during the period you have studied so far?

By 1868 the British Empire governed 10,000,000 square miles of territory, and 400 million people came under the control of the Empire. Britain by this period had adopted the role of policing the world, and was un-matched by any country in terms of power and influence. The Empire has always been a topic of intense historical debate. Recently there has been constant debate among historians about the effects the British Empire had on Victorian and Edwardian society. Historians have debated whether Victorian and Edwardian society felt a sense of pride towards the British Empire. Historian John Mackenzie has become the major authority in the field of culture and Empire, with his two books Imperialism and Popular Culture (1986) and Propaganda and Empire (1984). To answer the question did the Empire evoke a sense of pride in Victorian and Edwardian society is a challenging one. I have tried to look at several areas of Victorian and Edwardian popular culture and show an Imperial link to this culture, and then show an historical debate as to whether or not they did invoke pride in Victorian and Edwardian society.

The music hall was extremely important to Victorian and Edwardian society. Music halls were first seen in London in the 1850’s and 1860’s. With there mix of popular songs and speciality acts, the music hall epitomised the vigour of the Victorian popular culture. Music halls appealed to the less educated sections of British society, they became a social meeting point for communities in London. It was the main source of entertainment for the working classes as seats were cheap, usually costing around three pence. A typical evening would include a selection of acts, which varied from comedians, magicians to singers. Songs sung at the time would contain reference to everyday issues or larger political themes; Empire was one of these themes. From songs...