Was the British Empire a force for good? (pt 2/2)
In the summer of 1861, David Livingstone and a small band of missionaries travelled up the River Shire, in what is now Malawi. Livingstone was a deeply religious, fanatically determined Scot. He had arrived in Africa to establish the virtues of two Victorian obsessions – ‘Christianity and commerce’. However, what Livingstone found in Africa shocked him. Britain had abolished slavery in the Empire decades before, but he still found Africans being captured and sold by Portuguese and Arab slavers. He made it his mission to rid West Africa of slavery. His crusade captured the minds of the public back home. People believed the Empire could be about more than conquest and dominance; it could be a force for good and justice.
.
Duration:
This clip is from
More clips from Empire - Learning Zone
-
How did Victorian values affect life in the British Empire?
Duration: 08:01
-
Why does the British Empire matter?
Duration: 02:01
-
What legacy has the British Empire left behind?
Duration: 02:33
-
What can cricket tell us about the British Empire?
Duration: 05:48