The Age of Imperialism 1875-1914

1. The Age of Imperialism1875-1914 • Imperialism: the act of extending one’s rule over others • European countries needed raw materials to supply their industries. • Prestige was associated with owning many or large territories. • Missionaries wanted to spread Christianity. • New markets were needed for European products.

2. Rivalries • Competition among the European nations for territories was strong. • Just as Britain saw the advantages of colonies, so did other European countries. • Almost every European country competed for colonies as did Japan and the US.

3. European Superiority • Europeans believed that the new technology developed during the Industrial Revolution proved their superiority. • Europeans also believed that their religion and morals were the right way to live and felt a strong sense of duty to show others “the right way.” • “White Man’s Burden” poem by Rudyard Kipling discussed superiority (Social Darwinism)

4. Imperialism in Africa • Competition for colonies in Africa was so fierce that European countries feared war. • The Berlin Conference of 1884 was called to settle land disputes. (No African rulers were invited) • European countries agreed that any European country could claim land by sending in troops to occupy that area. • Border lines were drawn without regard to the native cultures.

5. European Countries in Africa The following countries all had colonies in Africa during the 1900’s. • Britain • France • Germany • Italy • Portugal • Belgium • Spain

6. Africa became a continent of colonies By the 1900s only two countries remained free from colonial rule; the rest of Africa had been carved into colonial territories. • Liberia – A country set up by former U.S. slaves with American support. • Ethiopia – Benefited from its mountainous geography, strategic position between three major colonial powers and its own strong leader.

7. Types of Imperialism • Colony = total rule • Protectorate = military presence / self rule • Sphere of influence = pay taxes to preserve self-rule

8. The importance of South Africa • Location of the Cape of Good Hope • Dutch originally settled but were forced off land by British in the Boer Wars • Discovery of diamonds • Dutch were also active in SE Asia

9. Imperialism in South Asia • India became a sphere of influence under the British East India Company. • Even though the company was under the control of the British Crown, the company was free to govern India as it saw fit. It even had its own army.

10. The Sepoy Rebellion • Sepoy – Indian soldiers working for the British East India Company • Angered by deception of the British East India Company, led a rebellion. • The British East India Company could not control the revolt, so the British troops set up a colony

11. The Reality of imperialism • Europeans built transportation and communication systems and confiscated wealth and raw materials • Projects built and funded by native people who were forced to pay taxes • Native people were treated as second class citizens and faced discrimination

12. Imperialism in China • China was a self-sufficient country which meant it did not need to trade with other countries. It had little interest in European goods. • The Opium War was fought to try to end the British control of the substance but China was defeated. • The Treaty of Nanjing was signed which allowed Britain to establish spheres on influence in China.

13. Open Door Policy • China was carved into spheres of influence • Americans saw what was happening in China and feared they would lose their trading opportunities in China. • The Open-Door Policy was established to enforce an “open-door” or the freedom to trade and sell to China for all merchants of all nations. • This prevented China from being colonized but its fate lay in hands of other nations.

14. Chinese Nationalism • Many Chinese citizens also felt like second class citizens in their own country. • Most of their major cities were controlled by outsiders. • Nationalist groups such as the Boxers begin to form and protest foreign occupancy.

15. Japan’s end of isolation • Fearing loss of independence, Japan conceded to trade with the U.S. and agreed to demands of Mathew Perry • Japan began to industrialize and modernize its country • Japanese studied the ways of Westerners and adopted the best ones • Japan was smart with its finances and stayed out of debt

16. Imperialism in the western hemisphere • A demand for Latin American goods began to grow. Latin American countries borrowed money from American and European banks to fund enterprises. • Unable to repay their debts, many of the lending nations began to take over the industries in Latin America and influence the countries politically. • Roosevelt Corollary

17. The Pacific Islands • The Pacific Islands were rich in resources and had military advantages. • The U.S. was interested in Hawaii and made it a territory in 1898. • The U.S. acquired the Philippines and Guam as a result of the Spanish- American War.