▁W . ▁T ucker ▁and ▁David ▁Hend rick son , ▁str esses ▁the ▁vict orious ▁initi ative ▁of ▁the ▁Americans . ▁By ▁contrast ▁Cambridge ▁professor ▁Br end an ▁Sim ms ▁expl ores ▁Three ▁Vict ories ▁and ▁a ▁De fe at : ▁The ▁R ise ▁and ▁Fall ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁British ▁Empire , ▁ 1 7 1 4 – 1 7 8 3 ▁( 2 0 0 7 ) ▁and ▁explains ▁Britain ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁al ien ating ▁the ▁major ▁powers ▁on ▁the ▁Cont inent . ▁ ▁The ories ▁of ▁imperial ism ▁ ▁The ories ▁about ▁imperial ism ▁typically ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁Second ▁British ▁Empire , ▁with ▁side ▁gl ances ▁elsewhere . ▁The ▁term ▁" Im per ial ism " ▁was ▁originally ▁introduced ▁into ▁English ▁in ▁its ▁present ▁sense ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁by ▁Liberal ▁leader ▁William ▁Glad stone ▁to ▁rid ic ule ▁the ▁imperial ▁policies ▁of ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Benjamin ▁Dis ra eli , ▁which ▁he ▁den ounced ▁as ▁ag gress ive ▁and ▁ost ent ati ous ▁and ▁inspired ▁by ▁domestic ▁mot ives . ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁shortly ▁appropri ated ▁by ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁" imper ial ism " ▁such ▁as ▁Joseph ▁Chamber lain . ▁For ▁some , ▁imperial ism ▁designated ▁a ▁policy ▁of ▁ideal ism ▁and ▁phil anth ropy ; ▁others ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁political ▁self - inter est , ▁and ▁a ▁growing ▁number ▁associated ▁it ▁with ▁capital ist ▁gre ed . ▁ ▁John ▁A . ▁Hob son , ▁a