"This Oxford Reader negotiates the varied and vital debates about the nature of imperialism to provide a broad history of the British Empire. Selected readings are presented within a chronological framework, from the origins of empire to decolonization and beyond, and are illuminated by a central theme of identity to reveal metropolitan, colonial, and indigenous perspectives. General and section introductions explore such issues as the role of economics and religion in imperial expansion ad rule; how indigenous and Creole populations constructed and expressed their own identities; and what changes were wrought by the process of decolonization. This Reader takes a global comparative approach and includes a chronological table and maps to reveal the full extent of British expansion, enabling the study of regional empire to be seen in its wider context."--Jacket.