Imperialism

1. Imperialism Europe’s Colonization of Africa and Asia

2. Journal • What do the following two terms mean? • Natural Selection • Survival of the Fittest • How do they relate to human interaction and relationships? • Even if you don’t know, look at the words and guess.

3. “New Imperialism” • For centuries, European countries had traded with people from Africa and Asia. • European countries set up trading posts in Africa and India, and sent Missionaries to teach Christianity. • In the late 1800’s, Europeans developed a new idea, called “New Imperialism,” that promoted the idea of taking direct control over these territories, especially in Africa, and turning them into colonies .

4. Reasons for ImperialismReason #1: Economics • European manufacturers needed raw materials to make their goods. They also needed markets to sell them. • “New Imperialism” provided direct control over areas with both raw materials and markets – European countries now had a way to gain complete control over all of the natural resources their own country lacked. • Raw materials such as rubber, oil, diamonds, and gold were rare in Europe and in great demand. • A European country that took over a territory in Africa and colonized it would provide its businesses with exclusive rights to use the materials from the colony, eliminating competition from other nations and driving down cost.

5. Reason #2: Nationalism • European countries were always competing for power and prestige. • In the late 1800’s, countries began to see an increase in national pride, called “Nationalism.” • Gaining colonies was a way for European nations to compete and for Europeans to be proud of their country’s achievements. • European countries used their colonies to spread their influence and culture to new parts of the world.

6. Reason #3: Social Darwinism • The British scientist Charles Darwin developed a theory called “natural selection,” which stated that species had a better chance of surviving if they could adapt to changes in their environment and reproduce. This was nicknamed “survival of the fittest.” • Nationalists twisted this theory into “Social Darwinism,” which they used to promote Imperialism as a logical way for nations to compete for survival. The “fittest” would be those countries who acquired the most colonies and raw materials.

7. Social Darwinism and Racism • Some Nationalists believed that the nations of the world were in a struggle for existence in which only the fittest nations and races would survive. • Losing nations and their people were viewed as “racially inferior” • It was believed that the European nations had a moral and religious duty, sometimes called “White Man’s Burden,” to “civilize” African and Asian nations by sharing their culture and Christianity with them.

8. An African Man, 1860

9. An African Man, 1960

10. Journal • What is racism?

11. Journal Answer • The belief that race determines the basic traits and capabilities of the individual members of the race.

12. Southeast Asia - Europeans • By 1900, nearly all of Southeast Asia was under European or American rule. • The first European colony in Asia was created on the island of Singapore in 1819. The British used it as a port for trade with China. • France took over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos by the 1880’s. • Britain and France competed for influence and resources in Asia, but never went to war over it. They left Thailand alone to serve as a neutral boundary between their colonies.

15. Southeast Asia - Americans • In 1896, William McKinley was elected President of the United States. • In 1898, the American navy defeated the Spanish in a battle to take over the Philippines. • McKinley was deeply religious, and he believed that it was his moral duty to civilize other parts of the world. • The Philippines provided America with a base for trading with China. • This was the first time America attempted to spread its culture beyond the Western Hemisphere.

16. Filipino Resistance • After years of colonial rule under the Spanish, many Filipinos wanted independence and did not want to become Americanized. • Emilio Aguinaldo started a revolt against the Spanish occupiers and continued his fight against the Americans. • Aguinaldo called himself the “President of the Republic of the Philippines” and used guerrilla tactics to engage the Americans in a difficult series of battles. • The Americans defeated the Filipino resistance, and took over the Philippines.

17. Southeast Asian Colonies • The Western powers (European and American) used their colonies as a source of natural resources and as a place in which their goods could be sold. • The colonies were not allowed to develop their own industries. All of their natural resources were exported, and they were forced to import goods from their “parent country.” • Many native people worked as low-paid wage laborers on plantations owned by foreign companies. Terrible working conditions.

18. SE Asia - Benefits • Infrastructure such as railroads, highways, water supply and buildingswere improved. • Although the “parent country” kept nearly all of the profits, some colonists made money from small farms and businesses. • Education, economy, and quality of life were modernized following the European model.

19. West African Colonies • Between 1880 and 1890, almost all of Africa was placed under European rule. • West Africa was the first area to be colonized, because of centuries-old relationships between European slave traders and West African communities. • West Africa provided Europeans with raw materials such as peanuts, wood, and palm oil. • The Europeans used their knowledge of West African culture to gain the trust of the people, and later, to take advantage of them.

20. Africa, 1914

21. West African ImperialismJournal • On the next slide, you will be shown a picture that will help you gain an understanding of how the Europeans were able to dominate the African people and take over their land. • Write down everything you know about the image on the slide. • What is it? • How does it become what it is? • What does it do?

23. Haitian Zombies Baron Samedi Zombie Slaves

24. Control • Great Britain had settlements in West Africa that were over 100 years old. • As France and Germany began moving into the area, the British decided to take control of the area to protect their trade interests. • In 1874, the British began overthrowing African governments and adding the land to their empire. • By 1900, Great Britain, France, and Germany had managed to take control of the entire West African region.

25. Effects on the Native People • Many African governments surrendered power peacefully. • African rulers were familiar with the Europeans from the slave trade and had profited from that relationship. • Rulers were willing to give up direct power in return for a new profit-sharing partnership based on raw materials. • Europeans went back on many of their promises and took complete control of government, culture, and trade.

26. King Lobengula Lobengula was King of the Zulu people of Southern Africa. He worked out a deal with the British that allowed him to keep power and the British to mine for gold in one spot. He was told to sign an English document that would ensure the deal. Instead, the document signed over all of his country’s mineral rights, giving the British control of every natural resource in his kingdom. Always know what you are signing!!

27. The Berlin Conference • In 1884, the Germans, British, and Portuguese met to divide up Eastern Africa peacefully. • No African delegates were invited to the conference, and the people of Africa were forced to accept their new rulers.

29. South Africa • By 1865, nearly 200,000 white people had moved from Europe to the southern part of Africa. • Dutch settlers, called Boers, had lived in the area for 200 years. • South Africa had the largest gold and diamond deposits in the world. • The British moved into the region and set up diamond and gold companies that became incredibly wealthy.

30. The Boer War • The British attempted to take over the Boers’ territory, which led to the Boer War in 1899. • 150,000 Boer women and children were forced into detention camps, where 26,000 died. • The British won the war and took over the Boer territory. Their tactics inspired the Nazi concentration camps of World War II.

31. British Dominance • The British dominated Africa after the Boer War. They built a railroad and telegraph system that linked their colonies and increased their influence over the continent.