Page 77 - All About History - Issue 33-15

A-Z of the British Empire

TheLife
OfRobert

Baden-

Powell
England’s
Test match Born
against Australia O 1857
Robert Stephenson
in 1939 lasted for Smyth Baden-
Powell is born
amammothten in London on 22
days and ended February.
inadraw Childhood
O 1860
An Australian team pictured at Niagara Falls Knownas‘BP’or
touring Africa in 1878. By the late-19th century, ‘Stephe’ he had
cricket had already become an international sport
nine siblings. Sadly,
his father dies
Australia Cricket when he is just
three years old.
From convict colony to Thegameoftheempire Charterhouse
independent settler haven had sinister origins O 1870
Baden-Powell
is educated at
ThelossofAmerica Now commonly played in one of the most
presented Britain many Commonwealth prestigious schools
with many problems, countries, cricket’s in the country.
not least what to do popularity spread quickly Army career
with the huge through the colonies of O 1876
numbersofconvicts the British Empire. The After failing to
now not welcome in 1787foundingoftheMCC get in to college,
he joins the army,
the New World. Where would the (MaryleboneCricketClub)andpassingof becoming captain
prisonersgonow?Theanswerwas Robert Baden-Powell the1788CodeofLawskickstartedthe at 26.
Australia. Convict colonies were first set pictured in 1896 during professionalisation of the sport, which Siege survival
his military career
up in 1788 when 11 ships from the ‘First was first played in Barbados in 1806 and O 1899-1900
Fleet’ arrived. In the 1800s, the country SouthAfricain1808.Cricketwasalso Baden-Powell’s
became appealing to settlers, and when Baden-Powell embraced elsewhere in the empire and unit holds out for
gold was found in the 1850s, immigration “Life without adventure thesoundofleatheronwillowwasheard 217 days in the
siege of Mafeking
steppedupaspeoplemadethemostof in Australia, New Zealand, India and the during the Second
the ‘Australian gold rush’. The Aboriginal wouldbedeadlydull” Caribbean.Cricketwasn’tjustasport, Boer War.
Australians saw their numbers dwindle Amanwhoalways though–itwasusedasapoliticaltoolby Scouting
duetofactorslikeoldworlddiseasesand preferred the great theBritish.Therulesandregulations O 1907-08
annexation of their land. outdoors to the confines were used to remind the indigenous Leaving the army
Naturally, Britain now saw the country oftheclassroom,Robert people of the hierarchy between them behind, he forms
the Scouting
asausefuleconomictool.Thegold Baden-Powell was and the white settlers. It reinforced racial
Movement and
andwooltradeboomedbuttherewere obsessed with stereotypesandwasasymbolofsocial publishes the
frequentconflictsbetweenthesettlers adventure. The colonel’s control. It was seen as a crude way of bestselling book
andrulersovertaxesandland.Inreturn, finest hour would come in Africa during spreading civilised values to those who Scouting For Boys.
the Royal Navy protected Australia the1899-1900SiegeofMafeking.The the British Empire deemed uncivil. The Married
fromtheGermanandFrenchEmpires, siegewasduringtheSecondBoerWar,a empirealwaysbaseditselfonanauraof O 1912
butthiswasnotenough,andbythe vicious conflict that pitted the British superiority, and this control continued He meets Olave
Soames, who has
1880s, the communities began to think Empire against the Orange Free State. 20 even after the abolition of slavery.
three children with
of themselves as ‘Australian’ and the special service officers, including Baden- Cricket remained a popular pastime Baden-Powell and
empire’s grip loosened. The population Powell, were sent to defend the frontier. evenaftermanyofthecoloniesgained helps set up the
Guides.
wasgrowingatthreepercentayear They were surrounded in the town but independence. Now it was the sport
whilenationalwealthwasincreasing managedtoholdoutagainst7,000Boers ofthepeopleratherthanasymbolof Death
at double the rate of Britain’s. Despite for 217 days. The now Major-General oppression. The most famous contest O 1941
an economic slump in 1890, Australia Baden-Powellwasahero,butwithina between Australia and England was held After years of
travelling and
became independent in 1901. However, fewyearshehadturnedhisattention in 1882. The former colony recorded a promoting the
Australia still rushed to help Britain in from military to scouting. The first book shock victory causing the Sporting Times Scouts, Baden-
WorldWarIasthebraveAnzacsfought of the movement, Scouting For Boys,was to remark that “English Cricket had died.” Powelldieson8
January in Kenya.
with distinction at Gallipoli and on the written in 1908 and from here, the TheAsheswerebornandthesport
Western Front. organisation developed rapidly. became even more popular than before.
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