Britain in the Early 19th Century: a Global Power

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on Britain in the early 19th century—a period when the nation stood at the crossroads of industrial transformation and imperial expansion. As the Napoleonic Wars reshaped Europe, Britain emerged as a dominant global power, extending its reach through commerce, naval supremacy, and colonial ambition. Yet, behind this rise lay complex questions of economic dependency and global consequence—from the East India Company’s growing influence in Asia to the early trade disputes that culminated in the Opium War. The era concluded with the dawn of a new age under Queen Victoria, whose coronation in 1838 symbolized both continuity and transformation for the British Empire.

Topics for Discussion

• The Napoleonic Wars and Britain’s Global Strategy
• The Congress of Vienna and Postwar Europe
• The Industrial Revolution and Social Change
• The Role of the East India Company in Asia
• British Trade Policy and the Canton System
• The Prelude to the First Opium War
• Missionaries, Merchants, and Imperial Ideology
• The Rise of Abolition and Moral Reform Movements
• The Coronation of Queen Victoria
• The Changing Nature of the British Monarchy and Parliament