The Colonial Office was a government department of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created to deal with the colonial affairs of British North America but needed also to oversee the increasing number of colonies of the British Empire.
It was headed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, known as the Colonial Secretary.
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Prior to 1768, responsibility for the affairs of the British colonies was part of the duties of the Secretary of State for the Southern Department and a committee of the Privy Council known as the Board of Trade and Plantations.[1]
In 1768 the separate American or Colonial Department was established, in order to deal with colonial affairs in British North America. With the loss of the American colonies, however, the department was abolished in 1782. Responsibility for the remaining colonies was given to the Home Office, and subsequently (1801) transferred to the War Office.
In 1801 the War Office was renamed the War and Colonial Office under a new Secretary of State for War and the Colonies to reflect the increasing importance of the colonies. In 1825 a new post of Permanent Under-Secretary for the Colonies was created within this office.
In 1854 this office was divided into two and a new Colonial Office was created to deal specifically with the needs of the colonies and assigned to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Colonial Office did not have responsibility for all British possessions overseas. British possessions in India and certain other nearby areas were under the authority of the India Office, and certain informal protectorates and other areas (particularly Egypt) were under the authority of the Foreign Office. In 1907 the Dominion Division of the Colonial Office was created, and from 1925 separate Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs were appointed. After the independence of India in 1947, the Dominion Office was merged with the India Office to form the Commonwealth Relations Office. In 1966, the Commonwealth Relations Office re-merged with the Colonial Office, forming the Commonwealth Office. Two years later, this department was itself merged into the Foreign Office, establishing the modern Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
| History of UK Government Departments with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Office 1768 – 1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Home Office 1782 – 1794 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
War Office 1794 – 1801 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
War and Colonial Office 1801 – 1854 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Colonial Office 1854 – 1925 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Colonial Office 1925 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
Commonwealth Office 1966 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968 – Present Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
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| Dominions Office 1925 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Commonwealth Relations Office 1947 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
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| . | India Office 1858 – 1937 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
India and Burma Office 1937 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
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| Foreign Office 1782 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
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