The Origins and History of the Commonwealth
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The British traders did not capture the slaves themselves. They worked through African chiefs who wanted the goods the British brought, and were prepared to raid their enemies' territories to capture new slaves.
The descendants of the African slaves who were taken across the Atlantic now make up the black population of the United States, and form the largest ethnic group in most Caribbean islands.
Australia
In 1768-79 Captain James Cook led three voyages to the South Pacific. These voyages brought the British into contact with the huge land of Australia. Taking troublesome people to the other side of the world appealed to the British, especially since criminals could not be transported to America any more. In 1788 the first convict colony was established at Botany Bay in Australia - 737 men, women and children. In total, 162,000 convicts were sent to Australia before the practice ended in 1868. Most settled in Australia once they were free. The British viewed Australia as an empty land, disregarding the rights of the aboriginal peoples. They hunted these people down. Many aborigines were killed or died of the new diseases brought by the white men. It is only now that the ancient land rights of the aboriginal peoples are being recognised.
India
In India, the East India Company was becoming more aggressive. Where Indian states would not co-operate, they took them over. By the 1780s the company ruled over 20 million Indians. (See ' India: the Jewel in the Crown' on page 41.)
The height of Empire
In 1815 a long period of European warfare ended. Around the world, agreements were made concerning the ownership of colonies, and Britain took over control of Cape Colony (later South Africa).
South Africa
A Dutch company settled at the Cape in the mid-17th century. They defeated the indigenous inhabitants and decided to import slaves. These came from the East Indies and the east coast of Africa. Early on in the colony's history some white farmers moved into the interior of the Cape, taking their slaves with them. There were constant disagreements between these farmers and the officials of the Dutch East India Company.
The British meanwhile had seen the error of their ways where slavery was concerned. Led by Christian evangelists, a successful campaign was launched to end both the slave trade, and slavery itself. The British officials at the Cape were keen to help slaves achieve their freedom. This became a source of bitterness between the British and the Dutch farmers, who moved ever further into the interior, to be free of British control. As they did so, they came into conflict with some powerful groups of Africans. This led to a prolonged period of war.
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