Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The influence of the British Empire in shaping the rise of American imperialism at the end of the nineteenth century is widely known. However, as this study reveals, that influence was more complicated on both sides of the Atlantic than is conventionally portrayed in historical accounts. First of all, those events involved not only matters of military power and territorial acquisition. More than that, they involved elements of religion, journalism, education, philosophy, race, and especially they involved elements of law. In fact, there was a profound division within Great Britain concerning how the Empire should rule its vast and disparate assortment of colonies, protectorates, and outposts. That division centered on the two historic rivals in finance and trade, two traditions of law and religion, the English and the Scottish. Their divided influence had important implications for an America that looked to Great Britain as its geopolitical mentor. The division between England and Scotland not only shaped American imperial methods, but also left a permanent and indelible mark on American institutions–and the world.