World History Imperialism Test

Age of Exploration

Europeans started exploring in the late 1400s to find spices, gold, and new trade routes to Asia

Columbus 1492

Sailed and landed in the Caribbean

Vasco da Gama

Reached India by sailing around Africa in 1498 (Portugal)

Spain claims

Most of Central and South America

Portugal claims

Brazil and parts of the African coast

Hernán Cortés

Conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Inca Empire from 1531–1534

Pope in 1493

Split the New World between Spain and Portugal

Global Economy (1600–1800)

Goods traded from Asia and the Americas to Europe included spices, tea, sugar, and cotton

England & Netherlands

Benefited most from global trade

Dutch East India Company

Powerful trading company that traded Asian goods

British East India Company

Trading company that controlled trade and acted like a government in India

Imperialism (1800–1914)

Powerful countries taking over weaker ones for land, money, and resources

Britain in India

Slowly took control in the 1700s–1800s

France in Algeria

Conquered Algeria in 1830

Suez Canal

Connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea

Boer War

Fought between British and Boers (Dutch

Boxer Rebellion

Chinese revolt against European control in 1900

Africa by 1914

Controlled by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium

Reasons for Imperialism

Economic: new markets and raw materials

Religious reason

To spread Christianity

White Man’s Burden

Belief that Europeans needed to “civilize” other groups

Social Darwinism

Idea that stronger nations are “more fit” to rule weaker ones

Key Vocabulary

Protectorate: territory protected and partly controlled by another country

Annexed

Added or taken into another country

Passive resistance

Peaceful, non

Taj Mahal

Large white mausoleum in India

Direct rule

Mother country sends officials to rule a colony

Indirect rule

Local leaders keep some power under foreign control

Mestizo

Person with both European and Native ancestry

Sepoys

Indian soldiers serving under the British

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. policy telling Europe to stay out of the Americas

Berlin Conference

Meeting where Europe divided Africa (1884–1885)

Boer

South African farmer of European descent

Other Notes

Panama Canal: connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Scramble for Africa

European countries quickly taking African land

Europe in less developed areas

Took land, resources, money, and power

Colonies over time

Usually adopt European ideas and systems