Age of ImperialismEuropean Imperialism

The New Imperialism

• European nations viewed Asian and African societies as a source of:

• Industrial raw materials

• A market for western manufactured goods

• European states began to scramble for overseas territory

Imperialism

• And so this was called Imperialism:

• The extension of a nation’s power over other lands

Imperialism

Old

• European nations had just set up trading posts where they could carry out trade or missionary activity

New

• Now, they were only looking for direct control over vast territories

Why Imperialism???????

• Why Imperialism:

• 1. Economic motives – States in the west were looking for markets and raw materials like rubber, oil, and tin

• 2. Heated rivalries – get land abroad and you gain an advantage over your rival

• 3. Source of national prestige – A nation could not be great without colonies

Imperialism and racism

• Imperialism was tied to Social Darwinism (fittest nation survives) and racism (belief that race determines traits and capabilities)

• Europeans believed that they had a moral responsibility to civilize people and called it “the white man’s burden”

• This meant bringing Christianity and spreading Democracy

Great Britain

• The process began with Great Britain

• Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles found a new colony called Singapore

• Became a major stopping point for traffic traveling to/from China

• Shortly after, Britain controlled the South Asian island of Burma to protect its land in India

France

• With fear that the British were extending into South Eastern Asian territory, the French sought to strengthen their territory in Vietnam

• The French forced the Vietnamese government to accept French protection and began to expand control over key cities and then into neighboring countries

The United States

• During the Spanish-American war, the Americans were able to defeat the Spanish fleet in the Philippines and take the area from Spain.

• This prevented Japan from taking the area and gave the USA access to trade with China

Colonial Regimes

• Western powers governed the new colonies

• Goals???

• To exploit the natural resources of the lands and to open up markets for their own manufactured goods

Indirect and Direct Rule

• Indirect:

• Local rulers were allowed to keep their authority and status in a new colonial setting

• Made it easier to get natural resources

• It was also cheaper

• Direct:

• Local officials were replaced with Western officials

• To make it ok, western powers said they were bringing the blessings of Western Civilization

Colonial Economies

• Colonial power did not want their colonists to develop their own industries. Therefore:• They focused on export of raw materials

• This led to the development of plantation agriculture • Peasants worked as wage laborers and plantation owners kept

wages low

Benefits of Colonial Power

• Highways

• Railroads

• Entrepreneurial class in rural areas

Resistance to Colonial Rule

• Not everyone liked colonial rule. In fact, many resisted:

• Ruling classes fought the western countries

• Peasant revolts were common