The British Empire ended slavery for much of the world

@realAtlasPress Though Britain had been a global power since the early 17th century, it wasn’t until Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815 that it emerged as the dominant power. By eliminating France from the world’s stage, Britain was left without a serious competitor. The Vienna Treaty that followed favored the Brits, granting them territorial possessions like modern-day South Africa, Trinidad, and Sri Lanka. These territories served as strategic naval bases Britain used to control its immense empire from all corners of the globe. The century following Napoleon's defeat is sometimes called the “Pax Britannica,” because of the relative prosperity enjoyed...