British Empire
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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
A replica of the Matthew, John Cabot's ship used for his second voyage to the New World in 1497
A 1670 illustration of African slaves working in 17th-century colonial Virginia in British America
Fort St. George in Madras, India, was founded in 1639.
Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey established the East India Company as both a military and commercial power.
French colonial empire
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The French colonial empire consisted of the overseas colonies, protectorates, and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between
French North America was known as Nouvelle France or New France.
1767 Louis XV Colonies Françoises (West Indies) 12 Diniers copper Sous (w/1793 "RF" counterstamp)
British attack on the French-controlled island of Gorée off the coast of Senegal during the Seven Years' War in 1758
The British invasion of Martinique in 1809