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Australia

Australia was established as a British penal colony in 1788 after a fleet set sail from Britain in 1787. However, this had serious repercussions for the native people.

North America

North America

  • Before the War of Independence, Britain had sometimes used North America as a place to put prisoners it did not want to keep in Britain.
  • However, American independence meant that this was no longer an option, and the growing British population and harsh justice system meant that Britain’s prisons were becoming severely overcrowded by the 1780s.
Penal colony

Penal colony

  • The government decided the solution to this would be to transport some of the convicts (prisoners) to Australia, which the British had very recently colonised, and imprison them there. - This is known as a penal colony (the word ‘penal’ comes from ‘to penalise’ or ‘to punish’).
Convicts

Convicts

  • In 1788, the first group of convicts arrived in Australia - there were around 500 males and 200 females.
  • By 1830, around 3000 British prisoners were arriving in Australia each year.
  • By 1868, around 180,000 Britons had been transported to Australia as convicts.
Sheep farming

Sheep farming

  • However, it was not just convicts who settled in Australia.
  • Many British people migrated to Australia, bought big plots of land, and made comfortable lives for themselves.
  • Sheep farming became a key economy, with wool and meat being exported back to Britain.
Release

Release

  • After the convicts transported to Australia had served their time in prison (usually 7 years), they were able to make a life for themselves in Australia.
  • Many stayed to work on the land of those who had settled in Australia, and some were eventually able to buy plots of land of their own.
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Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1

The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2

The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

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The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4

The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5

Medieval Religion

1.6

The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7

How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8

Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9

Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10

Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11

Medieval England & Her Neighbours

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European Renaissance

1.13

Norman Conquest & Control

1.14

Historical Skills

2

The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1

Anglo-Saxon England

2.2

The Contest for the English Throne

2.3

Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4

King John

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The Magna Carta & Parliament

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The Black Death

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Worldviews

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The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

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The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

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The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

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The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

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Religion in the Middle Ages

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Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

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The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

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The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

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US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

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The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

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The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

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Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16

World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17

The Russian Revolution: 1917 AD

18

The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

19

World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

20

The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

21

Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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