What Factors Contributed to the Growth of International Trade in Britain in 18th and 19th Century - Essay Example

What factors contributed to the growth of international trade in Britain in 18th and 19th century? The research that backs this essay has been in majority done during the visit to the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark Museum in Greenwich, London. The growth of the British Emrpire in the early 19th Century – the main factors The National Maritime Museum aptly describes the role of the marine fleet in the expansion of trade of the British Empire. As a matter of fact th British Emprie could have never expanded to the enviable size and power that it could achieved during the 16-19th Century had it not been for the role that the navy played. The Museum has on exhibition a great number of facts and findings that describe in detail the mercantile and exploration ships of the 18th and 19th centuries (and their role in the history of Britain) as well as the scientific navigational instruments which made the British navigators the most proficient masters of the seas. I have particularly concentrated on material I found and consulted in the Maritime London Gallery (level 1 to level 3) Neptune Court) of the National Maritime Museum, where it is described in depth regarding the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries as well as the fishing trade and exploration conquests of the British Empire during that period. The Cutty Sark Museum on the other hand is solely devoted to this fabulous clipper which became world famous and brought Britain laurels both in terms of trade as well as a living example of the perfection of the shipbuilding efficiency of the British shipyards in that time. The Seas as a trade highway The British Empire or Pax Britanica as it was called after the Waterloo Battle in 1815, was led towards an explosion of trade by the sea. There were many factors that influenced the growth of trade in the British Empire during 18th and 19th Century. The most important was that during that period the British ruled the seas by controlling the majority of the key naval trade navigational routes and thereby enjoying total sea monopoly; which was also the main trade highway of the period. The British Empire’s control was so powerful that it was even able to control China from the outside without any actual administrational or colonial involvement. British merchant ships were trading on a regular basis with North America and West Indies (after the acquisition on Virginia in 1607 and Barbados in 1625) and by the end of the 17th century , a huge number of people (apprx 350,000) managed to emigrate across the Atlantic Ocean with these very ships. These people base helped to propagate and facilitate new markets for trade and commerce from England. In order to cope up, the British Empire became the leading shipyard industry in the world. (National Maritime Museum) This continued to be so till mid 20th century when the Asiatic shipyards took over by producing low-cost ships. However during the industrial revolution (18th-19th Centruy) Britain was the leader in building ships which were the fastest, adopted the latest technology and which made Britain the greatest traders during the period. The British navy also profited from the abundance of export material such as gravel, sea-bed resources, gas, oil, etc. During that period, Britain’s prosperity has strongly depended upon its ships and the trade that they were conducting across the coasts of the British Empire. (National Maritime Museum) The trade in the empire rose rapidly in the 18th century consolidating Britain’s dominant position globally (with particular emphasis in Europe) and making it the first ever western nation that adopted successfully industrialization. A ship that needs mention is the Cutty Sark which was the pride of the British Empire for a very long time. It was chronicled that the Cutty Sark was the fastest sail ship (clipper) of its time. She was started as tea trade ship, but actually grew in fame as a wool trade ship between Australia and Englad route. It is said that she could complete 360 nautical miles under 24 hours which made it the fastest ship in her category and time.(Cutty Sark Museum, Greenwich). [The Cutty Sark is showcased today in the Cutty Sark Museum at Greenwich (London). The Museum actually allows people o borad the Cutty Sark in a 30-35 self-guided tour which can leave one spell bound. The beauty and exquisiteness of he ship at close quarter cannot be compared to that of any photograph or verbal description. She is a world famous ship for a number of reasons most important of which is that it is an exceptionally strong ship built in yet unparalleled design lines and proves the supremacy of the British empire in the 18-19th Centuries when the sea-trade was at its peak] There were different routes with different specialties according to the demand of the destination. In Asian seas the East India Company which was a large stock London-based company, was trading bullion, tea and textiles from India. On the Atlantic the trade was based on transportation of slaves for tobacco, sugar, cotton and rice plantations in Africa. The overseas commerce was totally controlled by the British whereby it was fixed within the Mercantile Framework of Navigation Act that all commodity trade should be affected by British ships, in British ports and others which were included in the empire. The economic factor During the late 17th Century England and Wales were having an overall population not exceeding 5 million people who were basically agriculture based workers. Due to the industrialization, they agriculture workers could migrate to the cities and work for a better economical base. Not only did this factor raise the economical standard, but also opened a great deal of new avenues for commerce growth within Europe and other far away territories. However, after the Napoleonic war, there was a population explosion whereby the population doubled and in 1815 the same region was counting close to 12 million people. This fast-forwarded the productivity in agriculture, and paved the way for industrialization as well as the growth of other technologies such as manufacturing and mineral, etc. The previously migration of labour had by then been substituted with permanent skilled hands which further promoted the efficacy and the production boom. The vastness of the British Empire The large emigration from England and European countries to America had brought about a high demand in the trade of European goods in America. The trade had vastly benefited from this demand and the British Empire had fully collected on this advantage. However, the close contact with America has also brought about an Americanisation factor. The slaving trade has been one of the main instruments of the British empire to consolidate its hold on the American colonies. In 1977 the British had the largest occupation America as compared to the other leading European powers, the French and the Dutch. The British suffered a great setback when the Independence war lost 13 of its American colonies but compensated with more acquisitions by 1815 when India, Guyana, Cape Colony, St Lucia, Trinidad, Tobago, Ceylon and Mauritius were added to the folds of the Empire. The name of the Empire where the sun never sets amply suited it by this time. With this the Empire controlled most of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans thereby gaining full monopoly of the seas and the trade navigational courses. Immigration and emigration When the industrial revolution took place (late 19th Century) career migration had taken precedence upon the subsistence migration which started in the mid 18th century. The seasonal migration and emigration to the close by locations were replaced by total immigration to far off lands for better living occupations and settlement. Initially, the migration was in a seasonal circle where people used to migrate from the country side ti the cities during off-time for additional income. By 19th century this became what was later called a chain migration where people from all over the world moved towards industrialized centers such as England (or France or Germany) in hope for better living. The transportation was again provided by the ships – mostly British – thereby promoting the industrialization revolution, catapulting trade with faraway places to an unprecedented high. As and when the colonization has expanded in the far away territories so did the demand for the British trade in those land, with particular emphasis to textiles, and metal wares specifically for the clothing and living of the slaves that were maintained in the colonies for plantations. (National Maritime Museum). The location of London and its importance as a trading centre The British Empire trade rotated around London which acted as a fulcrum point. London was during this period at the pinnacle of significance both internally and externally. This city was then the “gateway” to the new world. What established London as a trade centre centuries back still maintains its importance today as well. London, internally attracted all types of people from far and wide looking for employment since here they could find the highest diversification of work both specialized and unskilled (manufacturing units, domestic servants, errand boys, processors, traders and so on). Externally, London was a power to recon with in terms of financial services, warehousing and trade control. London became the Empire’s greatest port due to its strategic location which totally facilitated trade with the Baltic regions, Europe and the far East. By the end of 17th Century this port manned more than 90 percent of the world trade. There was another factor which made London the hottest favorite among the ports and the undisputable best – the fact that London was the seat of royal, judicial, cultural, commercial, administrative centre could offer exclusive maritime services that no other port British and otherwise could offer the merchants. The biggest industries and companies of that time had their headquarters at London. London was also the major shipbuilding centre in the world where the best and latest navigational instruments were manufactured and sold. The Port of London was the most important point for trade and also the most efficient in its time. Reference: National Maritime Museum, Maritime London Gallery (levels 1-3), Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF Read More