History and Heritage
Assignment Cover Sheet and Feedback Form: HIST10412: Essay
Personal Details – (to be completed by the student):
Student name:
Gerard Hamilton
Student ID:
N0386481
Module title:
World History
Module code:
HIST10412
Module leader:
Dr Nicholas Morton
Seminar leader:
Amy Fuller
Assignment title:
Essay: To what extent would you agree that economic growth is always the primary factor underpinning the rise of any Empire? Explain your answer with reference to at least two case-studies

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The importation of these raw materials aided the economy as it gave work to the people to build the naval vessels the empire used for transportation of goods and slaves to and from the colonies and Martine warfare, the workers and factories building these would have been taxed and thus money going back into the economy. In the 17th century The British Empire started to grow due to the competition for resources and markets that existed over a period of centuries between Britain and her European foes, France and Spain to name a few. Paul Kennedy states ‘it was Great Britain which made the most decisive advances, finally dislodging France as the greatest of the powers’4. Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers - Economic change and Military conflict from 1500 to 2000 (Fontana Press, London, 1989) P4. These advancements began when Britain’s ‘institutional framework evolved, the establishment of the Bank of England in 1694, a flourishing stock exchange and growth of the banking system thus stock become attractive foreign investors.’5 This blew France’s public financial system out the water and Britain started to emerge itself as the