The British rarely set out to conquer indigenous people in their colonies around the world. They usually started by trading, or settling, often with the permission or agreement of the locals.

The British government often tried to protect indigenous people from being 'conquered' and restrain the British colonists (by trying to restrict the 13 American colonies western borders to the Appalachians, for example). These efforts did not always work as the British government was a long way away and did not have much (any, as it turned out eventually in the USA) power over the colonists.

Attempts to protect the indigenous people failed most in the USA and Australia. They might be said to have worked somewhat better (though by no means perfectly) in New Zealand and Canada.

Where Britain did conquer colonies, this conquest was often the conquering of colonies which belonged to other European countries, and the conquest was an extension of European wars. For example, Acadia, Canada, Malta, parts of India, and various Caribbean Islands were conquered from the French. Florida, Jamaica, Gibraltar from the Spanish. New Netherlands (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and some surrounding areas), South Africa, from the Dutch.

Where the British conquered indigenous people (parts of India, parts of Malaysia, Burma, Hong Kong, and maybe a few other places before the 'scramble for Africa'), these conquests were mainly launched locally by some local quarrel, rather than as part of some plan or British government initiative (though over time, the inclination to 'build the Empire began to grow).

Rather than a 'drive to conquer', the British probably acted more from a drive to trade, a drive to secure trade routes, a drive to be able to defend against larger European rivals by being strong at sea, with a strong trade economy. More of the British population seems to have had a drive to settle and farm new lands than did the populations of early colonial rivals (Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands).

Eventually, this 'accidental Empire' of far flung colonies connected by maritime commerce, was seen as a strength, which helped Britain to remain strong and independent even when most of Europe was united against her under Napoleon (though, of course, Europe did not stay united against Britain for very long).

Once the Empire became seen as a key strategic asset and strength by the British, they were reluctant to let other European powers try to build rival empires which might be as strong. Then Britain became more interested in conquering to extend the Empire (or to prevent European rivals extending theirs), leading to more expansion driven conquests in the Northwest of India, and the scramble for Africa (for example).

Although the British Empire spanned the globe at its height, Britain never had a plan to build such an Empire, and never really felt 'committed' to conquering the globe. If Britain ever exhibited a 'drive to conquer' it was mostly aimed at conquering the colonies of her European rivals, at least until late in the era of the British Empire.

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