The Commonwealth of Nations and Decolonization in the Global British Empire

This project re-examines the Commonwealth of Nations to consider the role of Commonwealth membership in the constitutional development of former colonies of the British Empire. Looking at Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth Caribbean, this project situates these countries within the larger history of decolonization and national independence in the twentieth century. The methodology of global history supports an analysis that challenges the use of the narrow and limiting container of the nation to analyse the achievement of political autonomy, and instead prioritizes these changes within global processes. Using a variety of archival sources from archives in Scotland and England, I ask how and why former colonies sought membership in the Commonwealth and what the value of membership was to their national development and entrance to the international system of states. As legacies of colonialism continue to shape our world, this project considers how decolonization and the creation of the Commonwealth contribute to our modern international state system. Re-examining the significance of the Commonwealth, despite its real and perceived insignificance in today’s world, illuminates the past and present of Canada’s international relationships, and those of the rest of the Commonwealth.

Faculty Supervisor:

Amitava Chowdhury

Student:

Partner:

University of Glasgow

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Queen's University

Program: