Imperialism

The domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country.

Mother Country

Example: Great Britain

Dominated another country usually for the purpose of ports, natural resources, and trading rights.

Sends money and finished goods to the colony

Colony

Established by mother countries.

Exploited by the mother countries.

Found mostly in India, Africa, and China

Provides the mother country with cheap sources of labor, ports, natural resources, markets for finished goods

Causes of Imperialism

1. The “3Gs” Gold, God, Glory!

2. Economic Motives ($$Gold)

3. Missionary Motives (Spread Christianity)

4. Nationalistic Motives (Power and Presitiage)

5. Military Motives

White Man’s Burden

The European justification for imperialism

Said that the Europeans had the responsibility to improve the lives of the colonial people.

It expressed the negative attitude of Europeans toward people of the non European world.

Imperialism Review

1. What’s the definition of Imperialism?

2. What are the 3G’s?

3. What is the White Man’s Burden?

4. What was the Berlin Conference?

5. What is a “mother country”?

6. What is a colony?

7. How did Africans resist Imperialism?

Colony and Mother Country

India

Great Britain

British In India

British East India Company

The British East India Company had established trading rights in India in the early 1600’s.

The company’s goal was to make money.

The company became involved in governing because stability was crucial for trade.

The company had its own army of Indian soldiers called Sepoys.

British Changes

European missionaries spread Christianity.

The first railroad was built in 1853.

British built schools and colleges.

English became the official language of the

Indian government.

Indians became offended because the British

tried to change their customs and traditional

ways.

The Sepoy Mutiny

1857

British had angered the sepoys by demanding that soldiers follow rules that were against their religious beliefs.

The sepoy mutiny (also called the sepoy rebellion) called for Hindus and Muslims to unite against the British.

The British were able to crush the revolt

Left bitter feelings

1858- British changed their policies and ended the rule of the East India Company. The British government took direct command of India.

Impact of British Rule in India

Government

Single system of law and government,

unifying India.

Jobs in the British army and civil

service

Educational opportunities

English a unifying language

Economic

Canals, roads, bridges, railroads, and

set up telegraph systems.

Cottage industries were destroyed by

competition from British

manufactured goods.

Social

Natives were treated like they were

inferior

Indian culture was considered merely

exotic.

Indian workers provided the British with

inexpensive labor, for long hours, often

under terrible working conditions.

The Birth of Modern Indian

Nationalism

Nationalist ideas were already spreading to India by the end of the 19th century.

1885- a group of Indians formed the Indian National Congress.

Muslims broke away and formed the Muslim League in 1906.

The nationalist movement remained weak because it focused entirely on the needs of the educated middle class.

It had no program to improve the lives of India’s millions of peasants.

In the 1870’s Europeans controlled very

little territory in Africa.

In most cases, European activity was

limited to coastal trading ports.

African communities in interior Africa

remained isolated.

They represented an immense diversity of

cultures with many different types of

political structures.

Renewed European Interest in Africa

European powers engaged in a “Scramble for Africa” during which most of the continent came under their control.

The scramble began in 1882, when a local revolt threatened the Suez Canal, the lifeline for ships sailing between Europe and India.

The British quickly moved in to take over Egypt.

Other European powers acted jealously, and wanted parts of Africa for themselves.

The Berlin Conference

1884- European leaders met in Berlin, Germany, to set up rules for colonizing Africa.

- little regard for the people who lived there.

Impact of European

Imperialism on Africa

Positive Impact

Medicine, improved nutrition increased the lifespan of Africans and led to an expansion of the population.

Modern transportation and communications, such as railroads, steamships, and telegraphs. Also, modern agricultural techniques were introduced.

Some Africans (a small number) received improved educations and greater economic opportunities. Some served as local administrators or in the army.

Negative Impact

European domination led to an erosion of

traditional African values and the imposition of

a European culture.

African peoples were treated as inferior and

made to work long hours for low pay.

Europeans divided up Africa ignoring tribal,

ethnic, and cultural boundaries. Such artificial

boundaries have led to long term conflict both

inside and between African countries.

Spheres of Influence

Areas in which an outside power claimed exclusive trade privileges