From the 1750s until the 1950s the British Empire was the largest political entity on Earth. Ranging from small remote islands to huge continental territories, the Empire played a central role in shaping the social, cultural, legal, linguistic, political and economic assumptions which underpin the modern world. Explore the Empire’s origins in the early 17th century through to its eventual decline in the wake of the Second World War, highlighting both its achievements and the devastating effects of economic and cultural exploitation that underpinned colonial expansion and remain with us. Learn through online lectures, class discussion and other primary sources.