In the 18th century, European powers combed the South Seas, searching out unexplored lands, treasures, and people. British ships, commanded by celebrated navigators, such as Captain James Cook, led the way. British sea power led to discoveries that would lay the foundations for its empire.

Then in the 18th and 19th centuries British plant hunters spread out across the world trading plants, transforming landscapes and building a commercial empire based on products such as tea, cotton and rubber.

The Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain first and it then exported products that the world wanted; railways, locomotives, steamships and the telegraph.

Britain’s empire was also one of conquest and credit; an empire based on money, on violence, and on the ability to employ large numbers of troops to fight.

In this episode of Empire Builders, we explore 10 sites that made history, and chart the rise and fall of the British empire.