AP World History Units 6-9 Review Notes

Big Idea 1: Ideologies of Imperialism

• Overview: The Industrial Revolution spurred European empire-building from 1750-1900, driven by the need for resources and markets.

• Cultural Ideologies:

  • Belief in white superiority and the perceived superiority of European culture was a significant justification for imperialism.

  • Rudyard Kipling's "White Man's Burden": This poem epitomizes the paternalistic view that Europeans had a duty to civilize and uplift non-European societies.

  • Social Darwinism: This ideology applied Darwin's theory of natural selection to justify the domination of supposedly weaker societies by stronger ones. It posited that some states were inherently more fit to rule.

    • Strong States Eat Weak States

  • Desire to spread Christianity: Missionaries sought to convert indigenous populations, often viewing this as a way to "save" them from their own cultures.

• Nationalist Motives:

  • The desire for powerful states to assert their dominance and prestige through the acquisition of colonies fueled intense competition among European powers. Colonies were seen as symbols of national greatness, leading to aggressive expansionist policies.

  • Examples:

    • Britain in India: Control over the Indian subcontinent was vital to Britain's economic and strategic interests.

    • France in Africa: France sought to create a vast empire in Africa to rival that of Britain.

    • Japan in Korea (after the Sino-Japanese War): Japan's victory in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) allowed it to expand its influence in Korea, eventually leading to annexation.

• Economic Motives:

  • Industrialized nations required access to new markets for their manufactured goods and sources of raw materials (such as cotton, rubber, and minerals) to fuel their industries. Colonies provided these resources, often at low cost.

Big Idea 2: Consolidating and Expanding Empires

• Non-state to State Control: This transition often occurred when the actions of private entities became too problematic or when greater control was desired by the imperial power.

  • The Congo: Originally King Leopold II's private colony, the Congo was transferred to the Belgian state due to widespread reports of brutal exploitation and human rights abuses against the Congolese population.

  • India: Initially controlled by the British East India Company, India came under direct control of the British government after the Sepoy Rebellion (Indian Mutiny of 1857), which highlighted the company's mismanagement and the need for greater stability.

• New Imperial Powers Replacing Old: As established colonial powers weakened, new ones emerged, eager to assert their dominance.

  • Spain and Portugal lose power in Asia: Their empires declined due to economic and political instability at home, as well as competition from other European powers.

  • United States: Expanded into the Pacific after the Spanish-American War (1898), notably in the Philippines, seeking economic and strategic advantages.

  • Japan: Expanded into Korea, parts of China, Southeast Asia, and Pacific Islands, driven by its desire for resources and regional hegemony.

  • Russia: Expanded into Poland, Eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East, and China, seeking strategic advantages and access to warm-water ports.

• Scramble for Africa: European powers engaged in a frenzied competition to claim territories in Africa, disregarding existing African political structures and boundaries.

  • Otto von Bismarck (Germany) organized the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) to carve up Africa diplomatically, establishing rules for colonization and minimizing conflicts among European powers.

  • Africans had no input: African leaders were excluded from the Berlin Conference, and their interests were completely ignored.

Big Idea 3: Resistance to Imperialism

• General Response: Colonized peoples resisted imperial rule through various means, ranging from direct armed conflict to subtle forms of cultural resistance.

• Direct Resistance: This involved armed rebellions and uprisings against imperial forces.

  • Peru: Tupac Amaru II led a rebellion against Spanish atrocities, seeking to restore indigenous rights and autonomy. The rebellion was violently crushed, and Tupac Amaru II was executed.

  • India: Sepoy Mutiny/Indian Rebellion: Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's army rebelled due to a combination of grievances, including religious and cultural insensitivity, as well as resentment over British policies.

• Creation of New States: Nationalism inspired independence movements, leading to the formation of new nations.

  • Balkan states: Nationalism led to independence movements from the Ottoman Empire, with Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and others gaining autonomy.

• Religiously Inspired Rebellions: Religious beliefs and practices often served as a source of resistance against colonial rule.

  • Ghost Dance Movement (United States): This spiritual movement among Native Americans sought to revitalize traditional cultures and resist U.S. expansion. The U.S. military brutally suppressed the movement.

  • Xhosa cattle-killing movement in South Africa: In response to British colonization and disease affecting their livestock, the Xhosa people were influenced to kill their cattle and destroy their crops, believing it would drive out the British and restore their prosperity. This led to widespread famine and weakened their ability to resist colonial rule.

Big Idea 4: Transformation of the Global Economy

• Shift to Cash Crop Farming: Colonial powers encouraged or forced farmers in their colonies to grow cash crops for export, often at the expense of food production for local consumption.

  • Subsistence farmers transitioned to growing crops for export (coffee, rubber, sugar), with profits primarily benefiting colonial powers and foreign investors.

  • Examples:

    • Cattle ranching in Uruguay and Argentina for European/American beef demand: These countries developed large-scale cattle ranching industries to meet the growing demand for beef in Europe and the United States.

    • Guano extraction in Peru and Chile for fertilizer: Guano (bird droppings) was a valuable source of fertilizer, and its extraction became a major industry in Peru and Chile, driven by demand from European and American agriculture.

• Colonial Economies Serving Imperial Needs: Colonial economies were structured to serve the economic interests of the imperial powers, often at the expense of local development.

  • Colonial economies were reorganized around cash crops like cotton, rubber, palm oil, etc., which were exported to industrial centers in imperial hubs, while local industries were suppressed.

Big Idea 5: Economic Imperialism

• Definition: One country wielding significant economic power over another, often without direct political control.

• Example: Britain and China:

  • Opium Wars: Britain smuggled opium into China to address a trade deficit, leading to conflicts that resulted in significant concessions from the Qing dynasty.

  • Britain won due to its superior industrial capacity and naval power.

  • Britain forced China to open trading ports, allow free trade, and grant extraterritoriality to British citizens.

  • China was carved into spheres of influence by Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and the US, with each power having exclusive trading rights within their sphere.

Big Idea 6: Migration Patterns

• Reasons for Migration: People migrated for various reasons, including economic opportunities, political and social pressures, and environmental factors.

  • Work: New labor systems emerged to meet the demand for labor in colonies and industrializing nations.

    • Indentured servitude: Workers from Asia and other regions worked for a set number of years to pay off the cost of their passage to a new country.

    • Asian contract laborers: Chinese and Indian workers were recruited to work in mines, plantations, and construction projects for low wages and under harsh conditions.

    • Penal colonies: British convicts were sent to Australia for hard labor, contributing to the colonization of the continent.

  • Bad conditions at home: Poverty, famine, and political instability drove many to seek better lives elsewhere.

    • India: Poverty led to indentured servitude opportunities in Mauritius and other colonies.

    • Ireland: The potato famine (1845-1849