This unpublished manuscript was probably written by Burns sometime after 6 January 1973 and was transcribed by his grandson Andrew FitzGerald between 2013 and 2016. The formatting and content of each page have been reproduced as faithfully as possible to the original manuscript, and every effort was made to retain its style of presentation. The illustrated cover, however, was not part of the original manuscript. The scope of Burn’s history is set out in the table of contents:

I. Introduction 1
II. Colonialism 18
III. The acquisition of Colonies 46
IV. Slavery and other evils 63
V. The positive achievements of Colonialism 90
VI. How the work was done 120
VII. Constitutions 151
VIII. The Aftermath of Independence 167
IX. Conclusion 194
Appendix A 201
Appendix B 202
Appendix C 202
Index