Submitted by Taps Coogan on the 8th of July 2018 to The Sounding Line.

As part of our ongoing series of historical video-maps, we present: ‘The Rise and Fall of the British Empire,’ from YouTube creator Werton34.

After a handful of failed attempts to establish New World settlements such as the Roanoke Colony in 1585, the Waiapoco Settlement in 1604, and St. Lucia in 1605, the British Empire begins to take hold after 1607 with the successful establishment of the Virginia Colony as well as settlements in Guiana and Suriname. Although Britain loses its South American colonies after its defeat in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, its North American colonies continue to expand. This North American expansion accelerates after its victory against France in the French and Indian War, up until its defeat in the American War of Independence in 1783. British colonization of India begins after its victory in the Battle of Plassey against Bengal and French colonial forces in 1757. Britain’s colonization of Africa begins in earnest in 1795 after defeating the Dutch in the Battle of Muizenberg and claiming the Cape Colony in present day South Africa. Britian’s colonies expand through the 1800s, reaching their territorial maximum in 1920 after Britain’s victory in the First World War. At its height, the British Empire encompassed 23% of the world’s population and 24% of its landmass, making it the largest empire in the history of the world. Following its costly victory in the Second World War Britain was left nearly bankrupt and insolvent, and as the US superseded it as the world’s leading power, its Empire collapsed.

To see other interesting historical maps check out:
The History of the Greeks
Every Year of the Roman Empire
Every Other Day of the Napoleonic Wars
Every Day of World War I
Every Day of World War II
The History of the World Every Year
The Five Largest Cities Throughout History
Every Major Plague Epidemic in History
The Evolution of Modern Government
The Rise of Religions Throughout History
The History of Communism Since 1850
The History of Urbanization
The History of South America
How the World Got Obese
The History of North America
The History of China Every Year
Every Nuclear Explosion in History
Every Year in The History of the Ottoman Empire
The History of the Middle East
The Loss of Native American Lands Within the US Every Year
Every Ruler in Europe Since 400 BC
Every Day of the Korean War
The Results of Every US Presidential Election in History
Every Week of the American War of Independence
The Population of Every Civilization in Europe Every Year Since 400 BC
The Rise and Fall of the French Empire

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