Queen Victoria Quotes
… there is a notion of exchanging Hong Kong for a more healthy colony.
Hong Kong was not always a successful city or colony. In 1844 the British were thinking of swapping it for a better colony. However, in a rare combination of synergistic development of a colony, the great strengths of the Chinese and that of the English combined to make Hong Kong one of the best and well developed cities in the world. Few imperial colonies turned out as well.
Victoria Alexandrina, 1819-1901, [Queen Victoria], Queen of Great Britain and Ireland & Empress of India, Letter to the Earl of Aberdeen, January 10, 1844
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Given the time, Mill’s view on the colonies were appreciated by few Englishmen, but turned out to be exactly predict the British reality a century later.
Some of the Patriots of Early America realized that the oppressions of British rule were coming from Parliament and initially took the position that only the King could make laws for the colonies and not Parliament. Therefore, they were as Englishmen challenging illegal English laws. Most American hostility was directed at Parliament and not the King. However, once there was any physical resistance, King George came down with such a heavy hand that American hatred transferred to him. For related quotes on the King/Parliament issue, see {639145}, {639143}, {639142}, {639141}, {639140}, & {639137}
Even into the 21st century, the problem was not solved and Muslims from Pakistan continue their futile but tragic terrorist tactics to try and acquire more territory from India." 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Hobson, like Mark Twain in America, was a major critic of imperialism.
Hobson, like Mark Twain in America, was a major critic of imperialism.
This resolution was the trigger that began the debate which became the Declaration of Independence.
this quotation is one of the first references to Siam. It also illustrates the drive for trade. Malacca was a trading center but the King who was constantly in war with Siam did not want to allow the Siamese ships to bring their goods into his port to trade with the Europeans. A Portuguese had an interesting and novel concept of free trade. That and they should be free to trade with anyone in Asia, anywhere, so long as other European nations were not. Siam however was a much larger kingdom and Malacca and had much more skilled artisans and a greater variety of products. Therefore, Portugal sided with what Alfonso de Albuquerque decided would be its best supplier in the area.
Surprisingly, many third world leaders very much desired to become colonies of Great Britain. This letter was not only signed by the King but all the princes as well. The letter languished for more than 3 years in the British Foreign Office without even an answer as British governments vacillated between expansionism and anti-colonialism.
In 1884 Germany had become active in its colonization and outmaneuvered England in taking over Cameroon. Then Germany showed some interest in a part of New Guinea. The English resisted, not for any geopolitical reasons but because the British leaders did not want to be bested by Bismarck.
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was the longest of any British monarch until surpassed by that of Elizabeth II. It was a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, Parliament voted to grant her the additional title of Empress of India.
