▁as ▁it ▁were , ▁to ▁have ▁conquer ed ▁half ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁a ▁fit ▁of ▁absence ▁of ▁mind ". ▁Exp ansion ▁of ▁England ▁appeared ▁at ▁an ▁opport une ▁time , ▁and ▁did ▁much ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁British ▁regard ▁the ▁colon ies ▁as ▁an ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁state ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁of ▁British ▁national ity , ▁and ▁to ▁confirm ▁to ▁them ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁Britain ' s ▁emp ire ▁in ▁the ▁East . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire , ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁A . ▁P . ▁Newton ▁l ament ed ▁that ▁See ley ▁" de alt ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁with ▁the ▁great ▁wars ▁of ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century ▁and ▁this ▁gave ▁the ▁false ▁impression ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁has ▁been ▁founded ▁largely ▁by ▁war ▁and ▁con quest , ▁an ▁idea ▁that ▁was ▁unfortunately ▁plant ed ▁firm ly ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁mind , ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁foreign ▁countries ". ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁often ▁point ▁out ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁British ▁Empire ▁( before ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 0 s ) ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁single ▁imperial ▁vision , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁multip licity ▁of ▁private ▁operations ▁led ▁by ▁different ▁groups ▁of ▁English ▁business men ▁or ▁religious ▁groups . ▁Although ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy , ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁fund ed ▁or ▁planned ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁American ▁war , ▁says ▁Bruce ▁Collins , ▁British ▁leaders ▁" f oc used ▁not ▁on ▁any ▁military ▁less ons ▁to ▁be