The Punitive Expedition of 1897 was a military excursion by a British force of 1,200 under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson that captured, burned, and looted the city of Benin, incidentally bringing to an end the highly sophisticated West African Kingdom of Benin. 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, KCB (1843-1910), is chiefly remembered now for having overseen the British Punitive Expedition of 1897 that burned and looted the city of Benin, now in Nigeria. ... West Africa is the region of. ... The Kingdom of Benin was a widespread empire, which flourished from the 14th to the 19th century. ...

In 1896 a small armed force from the Oil River Protectorate led by the governor entered Bini territory to talk to their ruler about ending slavery and human sacrifice. Outside the capital Benin they were ambushed with only two men getting away. Within the month some 1500 men including naval landing parties had been formed to punish the Bini. Despite Bini ambushes on the columns within three weeks they were in the capital Benin. Along the route of the advance they found the remains of hundreds of men and women sacrificed to the Bini gods. In the capital they found crucified victims and blood stained alters.[1] At the time it was regarded in British circles as a justified action of a civilized European Empire in redressing savage native butchery, but historians of the colonial era now view it as more of an overt act of colonial domination, especially in light of the fact that the British colony of Nigeria was set up in much of the land that had previously been controlled by Benin. World map of colonialism at the end of the Second World War in 1945. ...

The sack of Benin distributed the famous Benin bronzes and other works of art into the European art market, as the British Admiralty auctioned off the confiscated patrimony to defray costs of the Expedition. Most of the great Benin bronzes went first to purchasers in Germany, though a sizable group remain in the British Museum, London. The Benin bronzes catalyzed the beginnings of a long reassessment of the value of West African culture, which had strong influences on the formation of modernism. The Benin Bronzes are a collection of more than 1,000 brass plaques from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin. ... For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. ... The main entrance to the British Museum The British Museum in London is the United Kingdoms - and one of the worlds - largest and most important museums of human history and culture. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Modernism is an artistic and cultural movement that generally includes progressive art and architecture, music and literature emerging in the decades before 1914, as artists rebelled against late 19th century academic and historicist traditions. ...

External links

• A bitter assessment of the 'Punitive Expedition,' accurate in detail.
• Armed Conflict Events Database entry on British Conquest of Benin 1897

Punitive Expedition also refers to U.S. General John J. Pershing's pursuit of Pancho Villa in Mexico. Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President Federal republic George... General is a high military rank, used by nearly every country in the world. ... General John Pershing John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...