British criminals were sent to _____.
Select one:
a. Jamaica
b. India
c. Africa
d. Australia
d. Australia
d. Australia
The correct answer is d. Australia.
To determine the answer, we need to look into the historical context of British criminals being sent to various locations as part of penal transportation during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the late 18th century, British prisons were overcrowded and conditions were harsh. As a solution, the concept of penal transportation was introduced. This practice involved sentencing convicted criminals to be transported to distant British colonies where they would serve their sentences while also helping establish new settlements.
Initially, convicts were sent to North America, particularly to the British colonies of Virginia and Maryland. However, after the American Revolutionary War, these colonies were no longer available as destinations.
Therefore, the British government looked for alternative locations to send their convicts. In the early 19th century, Australia, which was then a large, undeveloped British territory known as New South Wales, became the primary destination for transported criminals.
So, the correct answer is d. Australia, as British criminals were sent to Australia as part of the penal transportation system.