▁extraordinary ▁vers at ility ▁in ▁method , ▁out look ▁and ▁object ." ▁The ▁British ▁tried ▁to ▁avoid ▁military ▁action ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁reli ance ▁on ▁networks ▁of ▁local ▁el ites ▁and ▁business men ▁who ▁volunt arily ▁collabor ated ▁and ▁in ▁turn ▁gained ▁authority ▁( and ▁military ▁protection ) ▁from ▁British ▁recognition . ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁argue ▁that ▁Britain ▁built ▁an ▁inform al ▁economic ▁emp ire ▁through ▁control ▁of ▁trade ▁and ▁fin ance ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁after ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁colon ies ▁about ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s , ▁Britain ▁had ▁adopted ▁a ▁highly ▁successful ▁policy ▁of ▁free ▁trade ▁that ▁gave ▁it ▁domin ance ▁in ▁the ▁trade ▁of ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁After ▁losing ▁its ▁first ▁Empire ▁to ▁the ▁Americans , ▁Britain ▁then ▁turned ▁its ▁attention ▁towards ▁Asia , ▁Africa , ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁Following ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁Napole onic ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁Britain ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁century ▁of ▁almost ▁un ch alleng ed ▁domin ance ▁and ▁expanded ▁its ▁imperial ▁hold ings ▁around ▁the ▁glo be . ▁In cre asing ▁degrees ▁of ▁internal ▁aut onomy ▁were ▁granted ▁to ▁its ▁white ▁sett ler ▁colon ies ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁A ▁res urg ence ▁came ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁with ▁the ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa ▁and ▁major ▁add itions ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁Le ad ership ▁in ▁British ▁imperial ism ▁was ▁expressed ▁by