Reasons:

Trying to keep up with the competition. European countries begin competing with one another, leads to battles among colonies.

Searching for natural resources to use in manufacturing and for markets to sell their finished products.

A good place for people to go to get a new opportunity. Countries needed loyal people to go to these foreign lands to colonize them, this was a fresh start for those people.

Missionary reasons, for religious and humanitarian reasons. Spread western ideas and technology. “White man’s burden” Social Darwinism

                                                      

Forms of Imperialism

Colony- was a territory that an imperial power ruled directly through colonial officials.

Protectorate- had its own government, but its policies were guided by a foreign power. (Puppet)

Sphere of Influence- Region of a country where an imperial power had exclusive investment or trading rights.

Effects of Imperialism

They took natural resources, mining, plantations.

Hired Africans at low wages and imposed taxes.

Men were separated from their families.

Destroyed African traditions for European’s including Christianity.

India Under British Rule

“The Jewel of the Crown”

Positives

Developed India economically

Built paved roads and railway system

Telegraph system

Irrigation canals

Established schools and universities

Negatives

Discriminated against Indians

Forced them to change their ancient ways

Attempted to get them to surrender their religious beliefs

Made Indians farm cotton for textiles rather than wheat, which led to a food shortage.

Sepoy Rebellion- Put down and Britain takes direct control of India from 1857-1947, called Raj.

Drive for self-rule

Indian National Congress- This struggle lasts many decades, well into the 1900’s

Mahatma Gandhi used non-violent protest to gain India’s independence from Britain. He was a pacifist which meant that no matter what your oppressor does to you, you never strike back. Dr. Martin Luther King used Ghandi’s ideas to fight for equality for African Americans in the U.S.

U.S. did not want European countries colonizing Latin America.

The Monroe Doctrine stated that the American continents were free and were not to be colonized by European powers. Any attempt to colonize would be looked at a danger to the U.S. peace and safety.

The Roosevelt Corollary- extended the Monroe Doctrine which Latin America did not like, they believed the U.S. was trying to colonize them.

Japan had been isolated from outside influence from the 1600’s, until Matthew Perry sailed into Japan in 1853.

Japan accepted the idea that it was time to industrialize. “Rich country, strong military”

By 1914 Japan had become one of the world’s leading industrial nations.

Japan could now compete with European countries, of course they also became an imperialist expanding their empire up through WWII.

Opium War between China and Great Britain-1839, Great Britain won and gained control of the island of Hong Kong.

Other European countries and Japan claimed large sections of China as spheres of influence.

U.S. asked that China be opened up to all nations through the Open Door Policy, which the others reluctantly agreed.

Boxer Rebellion, 1900, Chinese attacked foreigners in China, they were stopped by multinational forces.

Sun Yat-sen became president of China in 1912 with a goal of nationalism, democracy and livelihood (econ. well being).