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Content Overview
Unit 6: c. 1750-1900
Imperialism
Causes of Imperialism
Summary: Imperialism was a result of European economic & political supremacy due to the Industrial Revolution
Economic Causes of Imperialism
Raw Materials
Europeans colonized other lands to get their raw materials to use in industrial factories
Markets for Industrial Goods
After making industrial goods (with raw materials from the colonies), Europeans would sell them in the colonies (for a huge profit)
Political Causes of Imperialism
Migration
Europeans wanted more land so that their people could migrate there
Military Bases
Colonizers wanted to build military bases throughout the world in strategic locations (often did this in their colonies)
Distraction from Internal Turmoil
Some nations had communist movements creating political turmoil → Nations would colonize other lands to distract their people from this political turmoil
Social Justifications of Imperialism
Christianity
Europeans wanted to spread Christianity throughout the world (to their colonies)
Racial Ideologies
Europeans believed the natives of the colonies were "uncivilized" and needed the Europeans to "civilize" their gov
Events of Imperialism
British Imperialism in India
In the 1600s, the British East India Company launched in India & started gaining political concessions. After an anti-imperialism revolt by the Indians in 1857-59, the British crown established direct control over India. The British built railroads throughout India & exploited India's cotton
Scramble for Africa
Europeans nations rapidly colonized nearly all of Africa in the late 1800s. The Berlin Conference (1884-85) created rules for the colonization of Africa to make it fair for all colonizer nations
King Leopold II of Belgium created a free trade zone in Belgian Congo (DR Congo) & exploited the local population to extract valuable resources (killing millions of natives)
Britain took over Cape Colony (South Africa) from the Dutch in 1806. Britain also wanted the eastern part of South Africa (which had diamonds), so Britain fought Dutch-Africans (Afrikaners) in Boer War (1899-1902) → Britain won & established Union of South Africa
Liberia & Ethiopia were the only 2 African nations not colonized. Liberia was founded in 1822 by freed slaves from the US. Ethiopia was able to resist Italian conquest
Imperialism in Southeast Asia & Pacific
France colonized Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (French Indochina). Britain colonized Singapore. Dutch colonized Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) & exploited its spices
Britain colonized Australia and established it as a penal colony, meant for convicted criminals from Britain
Effects of Imperialism
Tools of Imperialism
Communications Networks
Europeans built many railroads & telegraph lines throughout the colonies → easier transportation & governance
Westernized Culture
Europeans westernized their colonies with churches, western schools, and European languages → Allowed them to educate natives to join colonial gov
Situation in Qing China
Opium Wars
(1839-42)
(1856-60)
Britain traded opium with China → Addiction problems → Chinese gov banned opium → Britain fought 2 wars with China & got trading concessions
Spheres of Influence
Through Opium Wars & other events, many European powers were carving "spheres of influence" in China, causing Qing Dynasty to decline
Taiping Rebellion
(1850-64)
A huge anti-Qing Dynasty rebellion that killed millions
Boxer Rebellion
(1899-1901)
Anti-foreigner rebellion led by Chinese → Chinese lost → Chinese had to pay lots of reparations to foreigners
Because of the above events, the Qing Dynasty was significantly weakened & eventually fell in 1912
Situation in Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire declined for the following reasons:
Didn't industrialize → Couldn't compete with cheap European goods
Many distant regions of the empire declared independence
Europeans found direct sea-routes to Asia → No need for Ottoman intermediaries
The Ottoman Empire then instituted the Tanzimat, a reform movement to Westernize the Ottoman military, economy, and government → This failed, causing Ottomans to decline. Ottomans collapsed in 1923 after WW1
Migration
Colonial Migration
Many Europeans migrated to their colonies. Many natives of the colonies also migrated to their European colonizer
Indentured Servitude
Many Chinese migrated to Cuba & Peru to work in guano pits. Many Indians migrated to other British colonies to work on sugar plantations
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