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Economic Imperialism

Unit 6: c. 1750-1900

Main Ideas:

  • Europeans established export-oriented economies in their colonies to export raw materials & foods to Europe → Used to feed the European population & make industrial goods → Industrial goods sold in colonies for profit

  • Nations practiced economic imperialism in their colonies & organized the trade to give them a distinct advantage over their colonies

Economic Imperialism

Colonizers Practiced Economic Imperialism to Gain Profits at the Expense of the Colonies

Key Ideas:

  • Europeans established export-oriented economies in their colonies to export raw materials to Europe for the sole benefit of the Europeans

    • In Egypt, the British established a cotton industry

    • Rubber extraction in Amazon, Congo, and Malaya was an export-oriented industry established by Europeans

    • Europeans established a palm oil industry in West Africa

    • British established a cotton export industry in India

  • European nations (+ US & Japan) practiced economic imperialism in their colonies to give the colonizers a distinct advantage over the colonies
    • Britain & France used the Opium Wars to expand their influence into China → Grew Opium in India to export it to China for a huge profit
    • Britain financed the Argentinian meat industry → Britain earned huge profits since Argentina exported lots of meat to Europe at Britain's benefit
    • All the raw materials produced in the colonies were exported to Europe and gave the European colonizers an economic advantage since they were the ones profiting from the raw materials
      • Cotton in British India
      • Palm oil in West Africa
      • Copper in Chile
      • Opium in India & Middle East
      • Rubber in Congo, Malaya, and Amazon
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