New imperialism

Imperialism

 when a stronger nation takes control of another country or region, politically, economically, or both

Old Imperialism (1500s–1700s)

Main goals	Gold and silver, trade routes, spices, claiming land, spreading Christianity
Where	Mostly the Americas and coastal trading posts in Asia and Africa
Control	Trading posts, coastal colonies, limited control of the interior
Key tools	Sailing ships, cannons

New imperalism (1870-1914)

Raw materials (rubber, minerals, cotton), new markets for factory goods, national power and prestige

Almost all of Africa, large parts of Asia and the Pacific

Direct political, economic, and military control of large territories

Steamships, railroads, telegraph, machine guns, quinine (prevented malaria)

Causes of new imperilaism

• Economic:

The Industrial Revolution created factories that needed raw materials and customers. Colonies supplied materials and bought finished goods. Investors also wanted new places to put their money.

Political and military

 Nationalism made nations compete for colonies as a sign of power and prestige. Naval bases and coaling stations protected trade routes.

Social and cultural

 Many Europeans believed in their own superiority. Missionaries wanted to spread Christianity. The idea of the "White Man's Burden" claimed Europeans had a duty to "civilize" other peoples.

Technology

 Steamships, railroads, telegraphs, quinine, and powerful weapons such as the Maxim gun made conquest easier.

Social darwinism

Applied Charles Darwin's ideas about natural selection and "survival of the fittest" to human societies and races.

-Herbert Spencer is the thinker most associated with this idea.

• Imperialists used it to argue that powerful nations were "naturally" superior and had the right to rule others.

• Today it is rejected as false science and racist. Remember it as a justification for imperialism, not a cause of it alone.

scramble for africa

Berlin Conference (1884–1885):

European powers set rules for claiming African land. No African leaders were invited.

Borders

• drawn to suit European interests and ignored ethnic, language, and cultural groups. This contributed to conflicts that continued after independence.

By 1914, only Ethiopia and Liberia were independent.

Ethiopia's Menelik II

modernized his army and defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa (1896)

King Leopold II of Belgium

• Claimed the Congo as his personal property. It was not a Belgian government colony at first.

• He claimed to be bringing civilization and ending slavery, but he wanted profit, especially from rubber (and ivory).

• Agents set rubber quotas and enforced them with violence: hostage-taking, beatings, and mutilation.

Missionaries and journalists,

• publicized the atrocities. Photographs and reports caused international outrage.

what happend in 1908

 the Belgian government took control from Leopold, creating the Belgian Congo. Conditions improved somewhat, but the Congo was still run for Belgium's benefit.

Cobalt

• is a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries for phones, laptops, and electric vehicles.

dangers of cobalt

: dangerous working conditions, child labor, and foreign companies profiting far more than local people.

OPIUM WARS

Britain wanted Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain but China wanted few British goods, creating a trade imbalance.

Britain sold opium grown in India to China. Addiction spread, and silver flowed out of China. China tried to stop the trade

whO WON THE FIRST OPIUM WAR

Britain won the First Opium War (1839–1842) thanks to superior technology such as steam-powered gunboats. A Second Opium War (1856–1860) brought more concessio

Treaty of Nanjing (1842)

• China ceded Hong Kong to Britain, opened more treaty ports to trade, and paid an indemnity.

• Called an "unequal treaty" because it was forced on China and mostly benefited the foreign power. Later agreements gave foreigners extraterritoriality (tried under their own laws, not Chinese law).

Sphere of influence:

• an area where a foreign power claimed special trading and investment rights. Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan all claimed spheres in China.

Open Door Policy (1899)

•  proposed by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay. It asked that all nations have equal trading access to China. The U.S. did not want to be shut out of trade.

The Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901

• A Chinese uprising against foreign influence and Christian missionaries, led by a group called the Boxers.

• An international force defeated the Boxers. China had to pay a large indemnity, and foreign influence increased.

British East India Company

 gradually took control of much of India, using Indian soldiers called sepoys.

Sepoy Rebellion (Sepoy Mutiny), 1857

sparked by rumors that rifle cartridges were greased with pig and cow fat, offensive to Muslim and Hindu soldiers. Deeper causes included resentment of British rule, taxes, and disrespect for Indian religions and customs.

what was the result of the sepoy rebellion

• The rebellion was crushed. In 1858, the British government took direct control of India, beginning the British Raj. The East India Company ended.

what was india called

• India was called the "jewel in the crown" because it supplied raw materials and was a huge market, making it Britain's most valuable colony.

effects of the rebellion

• Effects: railroads, telegraphs, and a unified administration were built, mainly to serve British trade. Local industries, especially textiles, suffered and Indians had little political power.

Meiji Restoration (1868)

• Japan industrialized, built a modern army and navy, and adopted Western technology, all to avoid Western domination.

Why Japan became imperialist:

• it lacked natural resources, so it wanted raw materials and markets, and it wanted to be seen as a great power.

Key victories

 the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), gaining Taiwan, and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), which shocked the world because an Asian nation defeated a European power. Japan annexed Korea in 1910.

Resistance

Fighting back with armed force or organized opposition

examples of resistance

Sepoy Rebellion, Boxer Rebellion, Menelik II at Adwa, Chinese official Lin Zexu destroying opium

Accommodation

Adapting to imperial rule by adopting some Western ideas and practices and working within the system

examples of accomodation

Colonial subjects who attended European-style schools, worked in colonial governments, or cooperated with officials while pushing for change

Survival

Preserving cultural identity, traditions, religion, and languages under colonial rule

examples of survival responses

Families keeping traditional languages, religions, and festivals alive despite pressure to change

1839–1842

First Opium War; Treaty of Nanjing (1842)

1857–1858

Sepoy Rebellion; British government takes control of India (British Raj)

1868

Meiji Restoration begins in Japan

1884–1885

Berlin Conference; Congo Free State established (1885)

1894–1895

Sino-Japanese War

1896

Ethiopia defeats Italy at Adwa

1899

open door policy

1899-1901

boxer rebellion

1904–1905

Russo-Japanese War

1908

Belgium takes over the Congo from Leopold II

today

Cobalt mining in the DRC raises concerns about labor and fairness