The Growth of Empire, 1721–1763

Abstract

Empire had been expanding the horizons of Europe for several centuries. As we have already seen, voyages of exploration laid the foundations of colonial acquisitions which were sufficient by the beginning of the sixteenth century for the Spanish and the Portuguese to have made several attempts at dividing the world between them. However, before the sixteenth century was over, there had been many assaults on this Iberian dominance, especially by the Italian city states and, from the north-west of Europe, by the French, the British and the Dutch. Moreover, the movement of Europe outwards was by no means confined to the sea. At a time when Drake, Hawkins and their like were voyaging on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, an equally doughty Cossack named Yermak was penetrating deep into Siberia in the name of Ivan the Terrible, while the footsteps of Marco Polo overland to China were also being followed.