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Anglo·Americon Corp.
of
S. Alrico Limited
Gronl Heilmon
Pholo
rebuilt their
mi/itary power,
and estab–
Jished many sea gates and foreign out–
posts to defend themselves against the
French. These key acquisitions, all the
way from the British West Indies to
India, were solidified during the early
years of the Napoleonic Wars, 1800 to
1805.
Thirdly, after Britain and Prussia
delivered the coup d'etat to Napoleon at
Waterloo in 1815, a number of French
overseas possessions (as well as those of
other European powers) fell into
Brit–
ish hands.
Fourthly, the Napoleonic Wars
destroyed much of the wealth of the
peoples on the mainland of Europe. lt
delayed their development into natíonal
and then colonial powers. For instance,
botb
Germany and ltaly failed to unite
into single nations before 1870. This
delayed their ability to compete for
colonies and build empires.
World events helped Britain to
power. But there were other important
factors - namely, the British birthright
of natural blessings.
The 1800's Belonged
to Britain
"England had a bettcr combination
(of natural resources] than was to be
found under any one government on the
continent of Europe," said historian
Alfred Burt. "She had long produccd
the best wool that was known. Her
rivers and streams provided power ade-
Molten gold from South Africa, sheep from Australia, steel and beef from America
- rich endowment for the U. S. and now-crumbling Commonwealth.
quate to the needs of the day and, what
was then of great importance, water of
a
quality
best suited for the manufac–
ture of textiles"
(The Evollllion of the
British Empire tmd Commonll'ealth,
p.
16).
That word
tf1tality
describes Nine–
tecnth Century Britain well. While
America leads the world in
qt~antity
of
items produced, Britain has always been
the leader in the
quality
of its products:
textiles, cars, and ships among many
examples. Her pioneering of the agri–
cultura!, industrial, and transportation
"revolutions" of the 1800's established
Britain as "the first with the
best."
"The 19th century had been pre–
eminently Britain's century, and the
British saw themselves stíll as the arbi–
ters of the world's affairs.
It
was a
world stamped to their pattern and set
in motion by their will," wrote James
Morris in
Pax Britannica: The Climax
of
An
Empire.
"At their word, dams rose in India,
trains puffed to intricate timetables
across the plains of Asia, cables were
thrown across oceans, and troops of
petty princelings obsequiously salaamed"
(James Morris, "When Britain's Gran–
deur Knew No Bounds,"
Reade,~s
Digest,
June, 1969, p.
83 ~ .
Britain led the world
fit~ancially,
with the Britísh pound sterling the
world's exchange standard from the faJI
of Napoleon in 1815 until 1931. (That
was the year sterling was devalued, the
gold standard was abandoned, and Brit–
ain's world leadership was ebbing.)
Despite the present weakness of pound
sterling, London banks still represent
the financia! center of the world to most
European investors.
Britain also led the world
militarily
in the 1800's. "She had never bowed
thc knee to Napoleon, and she had
saved Europe. Her naval supremacy was
absolute -
so absoiute that another
u10rld war was impossible for a cen–
'"''i'
(Burt,
op. cit .,
p. 94).
The 1900's Belong to America
The seeds of America's greatness
were sown in the 1800's, but the rich
harvest of greatness did not arrive until
the 1900's. As early as 1803, with the
purchase of the Louisiana Territories,
stretching from New Orleans to what is
now Montana, American greatness was
secured.
After selling these richest farmlands
in the world for about 5q· per acre,
Napoleon said, "This accession of ter–
ritory affirms forcver the power of the
United States." The United States nego–
tíator, Robert Livingston, said,
"From
this day,
the United Statcs take their