19th century Imperialism

China - about to be overtaken by europe. An importer of silver from the spanish empire. MaCartney Mission tried to get better trade conditions with China but that was a total failure. Europeans, especially the British Empire figured out that the Chinese WOULD buy opium. By the 1830s, British free trade policy unleashed a flood of opium throughout china, which threatened chinas favolrable balance of trade. created drug addicts. So in response the Chinese confiscated the opium and the British responded to this by demanded comensation and access to Chinese territory where they could carry out their trade. Opened trade by force. Counter attacks by the Chinese were unsucesssful and eventually signed the treaty of Nanhing which stated that Britain got Hong Kong and five other treaty ports, and 2 billions dollars in cash. The Opium Wars further weakened China’s sovereignty and opened the door to foreign influence, resulting in a series of unequal treaties that exploited its resources and territorial integrity.

Africa - “Scramble for Africa” The main reason why Europeans were able to obtain so much of Africa was because they wanted to industrialize. Wanted colonies to secure sources of raw materials, like cotton, copper, iron, and rubber, that would continue to fuel their industrialized growing economies. In the 16th 17th and 18th centuries europe was not able to colonize africa. WHile they had the resources, diseases such and yellow fever and malaria and another disease that affected horses made it harder for europeans to colonize. However in the 19th century the one key factor that helped europeans to finally make it inland was new technological advancments such as the Maxim Machine Gun and steamships. which helped for supplies to be imported and restocked. and Quinine medicine helps moderate the effects of malaria.

European Imperialism involved a lot of fighting and a lot of dying from wars which killed many africans and many europeans. The africans resisted but were ulitmatly defeated because of a higher technological power. Most of africa and asia were colonized by Europe.

Most of the time Europeans ruled their colonies with the help of and sometimes completely through intermediareies and collaborators.

1890s in India - fewer than 1,000 administrators ruling over 300 million Indians. Most european colonizers resorted to indirect rule where they relied on governments that were already there but exerting control over their leaders.