AP World - Imperialism

1. Imperialism
1800-1914

2. A Western Dominated World
New Imperialism and Its
Causes
– Domination by one country
of the political, economic,
or cultural life of another
country or region.
– Economic interests
Raw materials/ natural
resources(petroleum,
rubber, manganese for
steel, palm oil for
machinery, dyes, cotton,
hemp)
Need market to sell factory
goods

3. Political and military interests
– Rise of nationalism – “we’re SO better than YOU” –
land = prestige
Humanitarian Goals
– Westerners feel concern for “little bros” beyond the
seas
– Missionaries, doctors, colonial officials, etc, obliged to
spread blessings of Western civilization; including
medicine, law, and Christian religion
Social Darwinism
– Racial superiority; European races are superior;
imperial conquest and destruction of weaker races
were nature’s way of improving the human species

4. Initially Europeans had limited interest in
controlling regions (very expensive)
Communication realities prevented
centralized control (had to rely on local
admin)

5. Dutch = Prototype
Dutch paid tribute to Mataram sultans
– Dutch East India Company worked within the
system
Later backed Mataram sultans in
intertribal conflicts
– Every time the Dutch helped they demanded
more land
Dutch backing was needed due to their
organization, weapons, etc
By the 1750s they had given everything up

6. The Success of Western
Imperialism
During 1870-1914 Imperialists
gained much more control over
the world
Reasons for Western Success
– Weakness of Nonwestern
States
Ottoman, Mughal, and Qing
empires were declining
Slave trade was draining
Africa
– Western Advantages
Strong economics, well
organized gvts, pwrful armies
and navies, improved medical
knowledge, military
technology

7. Resistance
– Asians and Africans often resisted domination
and fought back
Criticism at Home
– Imperialism immoral?
– Imperialism hypocritical?
Democracy v. imposition of power

8. Forms of Imperial Rule
Colonies
– France – use direct rule
Sends officials and soldiers from France to
administer
Goal? Impose French culture on colonies and
then into French provinces
– Britain – use indirect rule
Use sultans, chiefs/local rulers, etc
Encourage children of Western rulers to get
education in Britain (to groom a new Westernized
generation of leaders)

9. Protectorates
– Local rulers were left in place, but were
expected to follow the advice of European
advisers (Puppet and satellite relationship)
Spheres of Influence
– Outside power claims exclusive
investment/trading privileges with an area (US
claims Latin Am.)

10. New Economic Patterns –
Global Economy
Money Economy
– Barter system replaced by money economy
Economic Dependency (depend on industrial
nations products)
– Could be considered economic subjugation
Modernization
– Modern banking system
– Transportation and communication networks
Railroads!
Canals!
Telegraph!

11. Cultural Impact
Westernization – gvt, ideas, technology, and
culture
– Resented or embraced?
Schools and Hospitals –
– Built by missionaries
– Taught literacy
– Introduced vaccines and hygiene
Religion
– Missionaries and Christian faith
Impact on Western Culture
– New foods, art, architecture, sculptors, etc

12. Political Effects
World Wars
Early 1900’s – Africa and Asia – Western
educated elites begin organizing
nationalist movements to end colonial rule
Competition between industrial
nations=extra tension

15. Your Task
Region Foreign Resources Key figures/ Long term
Nation key events effects
India
South Africa
Congo
New Zealand
Hawaii

16. Scramble for Africa
Berlin Conference – 1884
– Called by Portugal
– Organized by Bismark
– Formalizes the “Scramble for Africa”
US was invited but did not participate
European powers recognize that
– Congo=Leopold’s
– Niger River and Congo River = open for ships to traverse
– International prohibition of the slave trade is signed
– Did not officially “carve up” Africa…but did determine what land
was currently in the hands of Africans and was thus, fair game…
– European powers only held a colony if
They had treaties with local leaders
Their flags flew there
They established an admin there

17. India
Nawabs – Mughal empire’s Muslim princes – regional rulers…often
made independent agreements with the British, Dutch, and French
Sepoys – hired and trained Indian troops
1763 – Seven Years War Ends
1818 – British Raj (reign) begins (hold the majority of India)
Sepoy Rebellion – 1857
– Stage a mutiny, proclaim allegiance to the Mughals, elites and
peasants join in…
– British send in forces to “contain the trouble”
– By 1858 – direct imperial rule is imposed

18. British Imperial Rule in India
Madras, Bombay, Calcutta
– Admin centers
– Local leaders of princely states had to report to British
admins
Reasons for British takeover
– Muslims/Hindus don’t unite under national identity
– Some Indians liked fighting for British
Received uniforms, weapons, pay,
5 to 1 Indians serving the British to the actual # of
British soldiers
India has lots of raw materials, large population
Social Reforms

19. South Africa
Dutch colony – halfway to India post 1652
Boers (farmers) started moving inland
– Descendents of the Dutch speaking settlers
– Subjugated local Khoikhoi peoples;
miscegenation ensued creating a “colored”
population
British take over in the 1800s
– Boers had not benefited from the Scientific,
Industrial, or Urban revolutions
– Had slaves
Boers move even further inland…

20. Boer War
Come into contact with established Bantus – the Zulus and Xhosa
British forced at times to come in on the side of the Boers
Boers try to create the Boer Republics in the 1850s
– Orange Free State and Transvaal
– Diamonds were discovered in 1867. Uhoh.
Cecil Rhodes moves in and founds De Beers Consolidated
– Boers win first war in 1871
– Gold discovered in 1885
– Boer War from 1899-1902
– British win, but feel bad about treating Boers horribly, tend to
allow then to rule themselves
– 1910 – Union of South Africa is founded, generally led by
Afrikaners

21. The Congo
Heart of Darkness
King Leopold II

22. New Zealand
Poor Maoris

23. Hawaii
Claimed by British in 1843
US in 1898
Originally Discovered by Captain James
Cook
Population declines by half
Turned to commercial crops
American planters/naval base encourage
the US to annex

24. Suez Canal – 1869
Panama Canal – 1904-1914