One of the constants throughout history is that empires and dominions have risen and fallen. The British Empire once had influence in every corner of the globe in areas like Canada, the original Thirteen Colonies (which became the United States), India, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, and parts of the Caribbean. The patriotic song, "Rule, Britannia!" penned in 1740, spoke to the confidence the British had in their empire:
The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
