Australia's convicts

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

Did convicts build Australia?

The British had defeated the French some years ago. So they sent out James Cook to find new lands. After two years he landed in what was known as Terra Australis Incognita. (het onbekende zuidland)

Before Cook, the Dutch had arrived. But, like Columbus in 1492, they had no idea where they were.

1768

When Cook went ashore, he found no agricultural development (ontwikkelde landbouw) so he felt the land could be claimed. (the fact that the land was already inhabited by the indiginous people didn't mean sh*t to Cook and the British...) 

So he claimed the Eastern half for Britain and called it New South Wales.

1768

Meanwhile on the other end of the country the French landed. They claimed the western half.

James Cook was sent out twice more to explore more of Australia but never found it again. In 1779 he was killed in Hawaii.

1772

The British lost their 13 colonies in the Americas. And with that they also lost their dumping grounds for what they called:

the 'criminal class'.

1776

Because once upon a time, the British believed that to get rid of all the criminals, would end crime. 

So they sent them to far away places. At first to the 13 colonies. But when they lost their colonies, they started shipping them even further... 

1776

Australia...

Back then you could be sent to prison for a lot of things...

* petty theft

* growing debts

* adultery or prostitution

* or in some (Irish) circumstances: rebellion against authority (the crown)

But there were other and smarter reasons for the deportation of criminals...

1: The British could expand their realm without the sacrifice of law abiding citizins.

2: Convicts owed a debt to society. Which was to be paid back by doing hard labor.

On January 26, 1788 the whole island became British. This is, to this day remembered as their national holiday: Australiaday.

The prisoners proved to be unskilled and unfamiliar with the land and climate to grow any crops. Many started to doubt if colonizing New South Wales was such a good idea. 

To boost moral, Artur Philip, the first governer, treated the convicts with the same rations as the settlers. When the convicts served out their time, they were awarded 30 acres of land to settle on.

Over the years more and more convicts were sent.

(160,000)

And in the 1790's also free people sought new wealth down under.

The British realised that putting away thousands of convicts in one place was a recipe for trouble.

In March 1804 Irish insurgents (opstandelingen) started a rebellion against the authority. They planned to capture a hand full of ships and travel back to Ireland. The British army crushed them...

Over the years the number of colonists grew.

1808: 10,000

1818: 25,000

1828: 60,000

In the 1830's cities such as Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne were founded. The life of the colonists grew to be better and better.

For the indiginous people however, this was not the case. 

The urge for land claiming led to a new wars. These 'Australian Frontier Wars' lasted throughout the 19th century. 

Over the course of time approximately 2,000 colonists were killed. And an estimated 25,000 to 100,000 aboriginals perished.

The settlers also brought along diseases like influenza and small pocks. Diseases that were unknown in Australia and to which the Aboriginals had no resistance.

Though brave warriors, the aboriginals stood little chance opposing the British Army.

Leading to many being put into reservations or forced to go onto christian missions.

1840

In 1840 the people living in Australia felt that the convictism should be called to a halt. The forced labor resembled slavery to much. In 1868 the last ship with convicts arrived.

Enjoy your weekend!