Britain, that small, resource-poor island off the northwest coast of Europe, has long punched far above its weight on the global stage. Yet this outsized influence did not arise from natural abundance or exceptional industry alone. Instead, it was built on centuries of calculated predation—seizing land, property, and wealth from others through conquest, colonization, and outright theft.
From the late 16th century onward, as European powers raced into the Age of Discovery, Britain watched Portugal and Spain amass fortunes from the New World. [Read more…]