Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Overseas empires

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

3 episodes

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  1. The British Empire

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the British Empire, what drove Britain to follow the imperial road and what was its legacy?

    8 November 2001

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    Featuring: Maria Misra, Peter Cain, Catherine Hall

     
  2. The British Empire's Legacy

    Melvyn Bragg discusses whether there is a need in Britain to re-examine its colonial past and examines the impact that imperial past has had on Britain’s current multicultural identity.

    31 December 1998

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    Featuring: Catherine Hall, Linda Colley

     
  3. The Venetian Empire

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the remarkable rise of the Venetians who settled on some marshy islands on a lagoon after the fall of Rome and went on to build an empire.

    31 October 2024

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    Featuring: Maartje van Gelder, Stephen Bowd, Georg Christ