Expansion of the British Empire (1886)

This map was published by the Imperial Federation League (League for the Federation of the British Empire) in 1886. The illustration shows the extent of the British Empire in that year, with the aim of publicly displaying the wealth and development of the empire and its colonies.

The map is accompanied by a large number of symbols, nature and individuals from the various British colonies, in an attempt to convey the great cultural diversity and how the British Empire served to unite them all in the dream of a federation.

Throughout the document, there are numerous figures that provide detailed information on the area, population, and trade volume of each of the colonies, as well as the main trade routes and their distances.

The illustrator of the map, Walter Crane, is not referenced anywhere, which does not seem to be coincidental. According to the analysis that can be found in the source of this map, Crane was a standard-bearer and militant of socialism in England, so they did not want to link his figure with the league that published the map.

Sources

• Imperial Federation Map of the World Showing the Extent of the British Empire in 1886