ImperialismThe takeover of a country or territory by a stronger nation with the intent of

dominating the political, economic, and social life of the people of that

nation.

*Why?Political

Balance of Power

Celebrity status

Military victories

Economic Industrialization:

raw materials new marketsCheap Labor Investment

Opportunities

The Unknown Adventure

HuntingExploringMedical

ResearchScientific

Research

The Call of Religion Christianize the “savages” Protect the missionaries Missions Teaching European manners

and ideas

Ideological “White Man’s Burden”

to bring “civilization” to the world

“Social Darwinism” argued that Europeans were superior to other cultures. “survival of the

fittest” Europeans

technologically advanced = Europeans fittest

Nation…Why not an Empire???

How?

Innovations

Transportation Trains speed of 35

m.p.h vs. stagecoach 10 m.p.h.

Steamships, cross Atlantic in 15 days, not 3 months

Ability to cross vast distances quickly.

Weapons Maxim Gun, first automatic

machine gun fires hundreds of

bullets per minute Took 2-3 people to

fire/feed ammo “Whatever happens we

have got the Maxim gun and they have not”.

Hilaire Belloc

Communication Telegraph

Lay wire on sea floor to connect countries

Can communicate over vast distances

Medicine Quinine, protects

against malariaWhite mans’ grave. Sick and die, People who live

there get sick, immunity,

does not cure-it is a protection.

Sap from a tree in S. America

                  Cinchona

Forms of Management Direct Control, expensive

but effective ruled through European

civil servants, goal to assimilate

natives- make them in to Europeans

Indirect Control, cheap but not always reliable ruled through local chiefs,

develop local leaders to help rule

Forms of Imperialism Colony

a country or a region governed internally by a foreign power

Protectorate Internal native government

but under control of outside foreign power

Sphere of Influence outside power claims trade

& investment rights – usually in the best interests of the foreign power

Africa“The Dark Continent”

Pre-Imperial

Diversity over 1,000 languages various sizes of political bodies (from villages to

empires) large Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist religions

Europeans enter the scene around 1450 C.E. They only could build forts on the coasts because of

disease and strong African armies Wanted slaves and refueling stations for ships to

reach Asia

1880 European nations controlled only 10% of Africa

China was carved into many Spheres of Influence by Europe and Japan.

Explorer, Dr. David Livingstone

Goal= bring “Christianity, commerce and civilization”

Took 3 trips into the interior of Africa between 1841 and 1873

Wrote travel adventure books Made Africa into an adventure area “Discovered” Victoria Falls

Scramble for Africa

Started by King Leopold II of Belgium

Conquered the Congo Basin, to “end slave trade”

Brutally forced Africans to collect wild rubber

$$$$ Wealth discovered—

minerals and cash cropsMinerals (Gold, Diamonds,

Tin, Copper, Uranium, etc.)Diamonds in South Africa in

1867Gold in South Africa in 1886

Cash Crops (Peanuts, Palm-Oil, Rubber, tobacco, cocoa, etc.)

Rivalry Britain wanted Cape

Town to Cairo (north/south)

France wanted Dakar to Djibouti (east/west)

Germany and Italy fearing to be left out rush to claim the leftovers

Berlin Conference Fearing a war Bismarck sets up

Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 set up rules for nations to carve

up Africa colonies had to be

"effectively occupied". not enough simply to put up a

flag and say the region was yours.

had to officially defend and administer the area

By 1913, only Ethiopia and Liberia were free of European control

Effects of Imperialism Positive

Reduced local warfare improved sanitation Hospitals and Schools Economic growth (telegraphs, railways, etc.) United in their hatred towards Europeans people live longer

Negative lost lands, lost lives (to warfare and diseases) Cash crops caused famine destruction of cultures and traditional

borders