For 111 years of the Stuart dynasty, menaces to the state were on the loose, jamming stakes into British fighters. Assassinations were plotted against kings, with attempts made, but none killed. Disaster spread throughout the green land. And then, "The Great Fire of London." The history books don't tell us if this was an accident or a devilish plot. Scotland and Ireland were tired in those days of uncompromising English rule. Each nation was privy to a different religion, which worsened matters.
After more than two centuries of enslaving Africans for a lucrative trade arrangement with the Americas, slavery was abolished. William Wilberforce is credited by many British historians as leading the charge to eliminate slavery in 1807, stated BBC. Slavery continued, however, until 1833. Since the abolition, Wilberforce became a national hero, with 20,000 people attending a gathering that marked 100 years after his death. Slaves were used to harvest tobacco, sugar and cotton, while performing other tasks. Slave colonies included London, Bristol, Glasgow and Liverpool.
The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1850s from the onset of new "industrial" technology, brought Britain to a stage of global significance and created what is known as Victorian Britain. The island country began its dominance in the ocean, as it developed a mighty force. Britain was considered the most powerful nation in the world at the time, according to BBC. Near the end of the Victorian age, Britain ruled one-fifth of the world's countries and about one-quarter of the population.
After the First World War, Britain's dominance of the planet was obliterated due to the financial cost of fighting, though territorially, Britain continued to rule most of the planet. The war-torn country couldn't afford to defend its colonies and was 900 million pounds in debt to the United States due to the help it received during the war. Furthermore, the export markets diminished, deteriorating the country's gross domestic product.