6.3: Indigenous Responses to Imperialism

Native Complaints Against Imperialism

During the second wave of imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many indigenous peoples had grievances against the imperial powers who sought to expand their control over their land and resources.

1. Land Loss: Many indigenous peoples were displaced from their traditional lands as imperial powers claimed them for their own use or to make way for settlers.

2. Exploitation of Resources: Imperial powers often exploited the natural resources on indigenous lands without regard for the welfare of the native peoples or the environment.

3. Cultural and Religious Suppression: Imperial powers often sought to assimilate indigenous peoples into their own culture and religion, which led to the suppression of traditional customs and beliefs.

4. Economic Exploitation: Indigenous peoples were often forced to work on European-owned plantations, mines and other industrial projects at low wages or no wages at all.

5. Political Oppression: Imperial powers often denied indigenous peoples the right to self-rule and imposed their own systems of government on them, often with little regard for their rights and needs.

6. Physical violence and genocide: Imperial powers committed large scale physical violence and genocide against native population which lead to loss of lives and cultural heritage

Anti-Imperial Movements

Some of the most common types include:

1. Political Nationalism: Self-government or independence for a particular nation or group of people. Political nationalists often sought to establish their own government and create a separate state for their people.

2. Cultural Nationalism: Preserving and promoting the cultural heritage and traditions of a particular group of people. Cultural nationalists often sought to protect their language, religion, and customs from the influences of imperial powers.

3. Economic Nationalism: Economic self-sufficiency and independence for a particular nation or group of people. Economic nationalists often sought to establish their own industries and protect their economy from foreign domination.

4. Social Nationalism: Social and political equality for a particular nation or group of people. Social nationalists often sought to address issues such as poverty, discrimination, and inequality within their society.

5. Non-violent nationalism: Independence and self-rule through peaceful means such as diplomacy, education, and propaganda.

6. Armed Nationalism: This type of nationalist movement focused on achieving independence and self-rule through armed resistance against imperial powers

Direct Resistance

• Yaa Asantewaa War - a conflict fought in the Ashanti Empire (now part of Ghana) in 1900-1901. The Ashanti queen mother, Yaa Asantewaa, led the Ashanti army against British colonialism.

• Tupac Amaru II - an 18th-century indigenous leader in Peru who led a rebellion against the Spanish colonial government in 1780. The rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, but it did inspire other resistance movements in the region.

• Indian Rebellion (1857) - a rebellion against British colonial rule in India. It began as a mutiny of sepoys, (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's army), soon spread and involved large numbers of civilians. The rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, but it did lead to significant changes in the way Britain governed India, including the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown.

• Treaty of Berlin (1878) - freed Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro

• Proclamation of 1763 - reserved all the land between Appalachian Mtns and Mississippi River for Native Americans

• French Intervention in Mexico (1863) - a group of Mexican conservatives conspired with Emperor Napoleon III to overthrow the liberal gov of Benito Juarez

New State Formation

Definition: process of creating a new sovereign state, usually through political independence or separation from an existing state. This can happen through a variety of means, such as through peaceful negotiation, secession, or war.

• Sokoto Caliphate - West African Islamic state that existed in the late 19th century in what is now Nigeria. The Sokoto Caliphate was one of the largest and most powerful states in West Africa at the time

• Zulu Kingdom - powerful state in southern Africa that existed in the 19th century. Known for its fierce warriors and its highly organized military structure.

• Anglo-Zulu War - the clash of British vs Zulus, ultimately leading to the defeat of the Zulus.

• Cherokee Nation - sovereign nation of the Cherokee people that existed in the southeastern United States, prior to the Indian Removal Act* of 1830. One of the largest Indian tribes in the South and had a complex political, social and economic systems. They were forced to move to Indian Territory during the Trail of Tears, leading to the decline of the Nation and the loss of their land.

*authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders

Rebellions Based on Religion

• The Ghost Dance - a religious movement that emerged among some Native American tribes in the late 19th century. The Ghost Dance was based on the belief that if the Native people performed the dance, the spirits of their ancestors would return, the Europeans would disappear. The US government saw it as a threat to their authority and suppressed it.

• Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement - a religious movement that emerged among the Xhosa people in southern Africa in the late 19th century. The movement was based on the belief that if the Xhosa people killed all of their cattle and destroyed their crops, the spirits of their ancestors would return and restore the land. The movement led to widespread famine and suffering among the Xhosa people, and it ultimately failed to achieve its goals.

• Mahdist Wars - a series of conflicts that took place in Sudan between 1881 and 1899, between the forces of the Mahdist state, led by Muhammad Ahmad, and the forces of the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire. Led to the loss of Sudan to the British Empire, and the end of the Mahdist state. Was one of the last major conflicts fought with traditional weapons and tactics, also marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion in Africa.

6.5: Economic Imperialism

Economic imperialism refers to the use of economic power to exert control over other countries, regions, or peoples. This can take many forms, including the control of natural resources, the manipulation of trade and investment, and the exploitation of labor and markets. Economic imperialism can also involve the use of economic aid, loans, and other forms of financial assistance as a means of exerting influence and control

Goals of Imperial Powers

• Access to natural resources: Countries may seek to control resources such as oil, minerals, and agricultural land in other countries in order to secure supplies for their own economies.

• Markets for goods and services: Countries may seek to control or dominate markets in other countries in order to sell their own goods and services and increase their exports.

• Investment opportunities: Countries may seek to invest in other countries in order to gain access to new markets, resources, and labor.

• Political and strategic advantages: Countries may seek to control other countries in order to gain strategic advantages such as military bases, naval ports, or access to key waterways.

• Ideological reasons: Some countries may seek to spread their own economic systems, culture and values to other countries, believing that their way of life is superior.

Formal vs. Informal Economic Imperialism

1. Formal: the direct control of a colony or territory by a foreign power through the establishment of a formal political and economic system.

   • colonization

   • imposition of tariffs and trade regulations

   • controlling resources/labor

   • extracting wealth from the colony

2. Informal: the indirect control of a country's economy through economic means, such as trade agreements and investments, rather than through formal political control.

   • exertion of economic influence

   • no need for formal colonization

   • trade agreements

   • investments

Other ways Economic Imperialism was imposed:

• Control of strategic locations: A foreign power establishes control over strategically important locations, such as ports, transportation routes, and access to resources, in order to gain economic advantage.

• Exploitation of resources and labor: A foreign power exploits the resources and labor of a country for their own benefit.

• Control of markets: A foreign power establishes control over a country's markets, either through direct ownership or control of key industries, or through manipulation of trade agreements and tariffs.

Economic Imperialism in Asia

The Opium Wars - two wars fought by the British and the Chinese in the mid-19th century over the opium trade. The First Opium War (1839-1842) and the Second Opium War (1856-1860) were both sparked by China's efforts to stop the opium trade, being conducted by British merchants.

• Causes: In 1839, the Chinese government confiscated and destroyed a large quantity of opium held by British merchants. The opium trade continued, and the Chinese government continued its efforts to stop it.

• Effects: China was forced to open its ports to foreign trade and cede control of Hong Kong to the British. The country also had to pay large indemnities to the British and allow foreign diplomats and traders to operate in China with few restrictions.

The Treaty of Nanjing - a peace treaty signed in 1842 between the Qing dynasty of China and the British Empire, following the First Opium War. The treaty was the first of the "unequal treaties" imposed on China by foreign powers, which forced China to open its ports to foreign trade, cede the island of Hong Kong to the British, and pay a large indemnity to the British.

The Treaty of Tientsin (Treaty of Tianjin) - a series of treaties signed in 1858 and 1860 between the Qing dynasty of China and a number of foreign powers, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, following the Second Opium War.

• expanded on the provisions of the Treaty of Nanjing

• further opened Chinese ports to foreign trade and residence

• established diplomatic legations in Beijing

• ceded the Kowloon Peninsula to the British

• forced China to pay a large indemnity to the foreign powers and legalize the opium trade

Economic Imperialism in Africa

Cotton in Egypt - During this period, Egypt was dominated by foreign corporations and investors, primarily from Britain, who controlled much of the country's economy, including the production and export of cotton.

• British corporations and investors saw opportunities for profit in Egypt's fertile cotton-growing regions and established large cotton plantations and dominated the production and export of cotton.

Cash Crops in the Gold Coast - Gold Coast was dominated by foreign corporations and investors, primarily from Britain, who controlled much of the country's economy, including the production and export of cash crops such as cocoa and palm oil.

Slavery in Africa - Slavery in Africa was a form of economic imperialism in which European colonizing powers forcibly captured and enslaved Africans to exploit their labor and resources for their own gain.

• had devastating effects on African societies, leading to the loss of life, culture, and economic prosperity.

Economic Imperialism in Latin America

Mining in Chile - Abundant, easily accessible copper, attractive destination for mining companies. Many multinational corporations saw the opportunities presented by Chile's copper resources and favorable policies, and they began to invest heavily in the country's mining industry.

Rubber in Brazil - Amazon rain forest in Brazil, lots of rubber trees. Foreign corporations saw the opportunities presented by Brazil's rubber resources and began to invest heavily in the industry. workers were subjected to exploitative conditions, low wages, and disease.

• concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few, while the local population faced exploitation, poverty, and political instability.

Economic Imperialism resulted in the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few multinational corporations, while local communities and workers faced exploitation and environmental degradation.

Main Points:

ASPIRE Summary

Art/tech:

• Foreign powers exploited other country’s resources for their own technological gain.

• began using rifle cartridges with fat from animals

Social:

• Imperial powers often sought to assimilate indigenous peoples into their own culture and religion, which led to the suppression of traditional customs and beliefs.

• Indian removal act, trail of tears, Proclamation of 1763

Political:

• Anti-Imperial Movements such as Political and Cultural Nationalism

• Africa was dominated during 1750-1900 mainly by European countries’ colonies.

• When foreign powers saw opportunity in different countries’ natural resources, they would typically establish colonies, whether direct or indirect, in order to profit off of them, which often resulted in the exploitation of the people

• Philippine-American war, resulted in the death of over 4,200 American and over 20,000 Filipino combatants

Intellectual:

• Non-violent nationalism: Independence and self-rule through peaceful means such as diplomacy, education, and propaganda.

Religion:

• The Ghost Dance and the Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement were used as a beacon of hope for the Native Americans in an attempt to believe they could banish the Europeans from their land.

• Cultural and Religious Suppression: Imperial powers often sought to assimilate indigenous peoples into their own culture and religion, which led to the suppression of traditional customs and beliefs.

Economic:

• Markets for goods and services: Countries may seek to control or dominate markets in other countries in order to sell their own goods and services and increase their exports.

• Investment opportunities: Countries may seek to invest in other countries in order to gain access to new markets, resources, and labor.

• British investors established large cotton plantations in Egypt to exploit the people and the land for profit.