What were the characteristics of British foreign trade in the 19th century?

Pursue a free trade policy and expand colonies aggressively.

Colonial expansion in the period of industrial capital. After the rise of the British Industrial Revolution, the government representing the interests of the industrial bourgeoisie pursued a free trade policy and began a period of industrial capital plundering colonies.

In 1813, the East India Company's trade monopoly was revoked, and a large number of British machine-made textiles poured into India, destroying the local traditional cotton handicraft industry.

Colonial expansion in the period of financial capital. After the 1870s, due to the uneven political and economic development of capitalist countries, Britain gradually lost its monopoly position in the industrial world, but it still took the lead in capital export and colonial expansion. .

Africa is the last continent carved up by imperialism. The British captured the most valuable parts of it, and included Basutoland and Bechuanaland as protected territories in 1868 and 1885 respectively.

Extended information:

From 1825 to 1875, with the exception of Britain and France, the activities of European countries in conquering new colonies had basically stopped and were replaced by overseas colonies. Movement of immigrants.

As far as the situation in the UK is concerned, the words of British Prime Minister Disraeli in 1852 can be said to be the best summary of Britain’s attitude towards the colonies during this period: “The colonies are hanging on us (Britain) ) a heavy millstone around the neck."

Take the two small British colonies in Gambia and the Gold Coast as examples. Their commercial tax revenue is far from keeping up with administrative expenses. The British Parliament has recommended several times to reduce the size of the colonies or abandon them completely. This is only due to the British Royal Navy. The West Africa Squadron needed to establish a naval base in the Gulf of Guinea to prohibit the slave trade, and Britain finally retained these two areas.

Baidu Encyclopedia-British colonial expansion