Imperialism and Colonization Notes
Africa in the late 19th Century
The Sokoto Caliphate was the largest Muslim state in Western Africa since the 16th century.
King Leopold II of Belgium took control of the Congo, a large country in Central Africa, and committed atrocities.
Before the mid-to-late 1800s, Europeans had limited access to Central Africa due to:
Lack of maps.
Unnavigable rivers that required boats to move against the current.
Disease, especially malaria.
Due to these difficulties, African coastal tribes often conducted slave trading, kidnapping people from the interior and selling them to Europeans.
What changed in the late 1700s and early 1800s that allowed greater access to Central Africa?
Industrialization: The development of steamships enabled easier navigation of rivers upstream.
Medicine: The development of quinine helped ease the symptoms of malaria.
Exploration:
Henry Morton Stanley, a Canadian explorer, searched for Dr. David Livingstone, a British explorer and anthropologist who had disappeared in Central Africa.
Stanley famously found Livingstone and greeted him with the words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Savorgnan de Brazza, an Italian serving the French, obtained a treaty that placed the Northern Bank (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco) under French protection.
The Berlin Conference (1884)
Called by Otto von Bismarck of Germany to establish rules for dividing Africa among European powers.
Africans were not involved or consulted in this process, which is akin to dividing up someone's birthday cake without their input.
Europeans lacked understanding of cultural, historical, and linguistic differences among African tribes and had no interest in learning.
Borders were drawn that separated allied tribes and united hostile ones, leading to long-term conflicts.
Example: The French invaded Algeria, deposed Abd al-Qadir, and established Algeria as a colony in Northern Africa.
Egypt and Ethiopia
Egypt:
Became a British colony.
Underwent modernization projects, including the Suez Canal, which created a man-made waterway that connects the Red sea and the Mediterranean sea, thus connecting Asia and Europe without having to sail around Africa
An isthmus is a narrow stretch of land separating two bodies of water. The Panama Canal is another example, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in Central America, where the isthmus is about 50 miles wide.
Ethiopia:
Remained independent, along with Liberia, due to Emperor Menelik II's leadership.
Predominantly Christian.
Menelik II traded Ethiopian goods for Italian weapons, which he later used to defend Ethiopia against Italian colonization attempts.
Italy colonized Eritrea easily, but faced resistance in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia's independence was eventually lost after Menelik's death when Italy, under Benito Mussolini, conquered the country in the 1930s.
Transition from Slave Trade to Legitimate Trade
By 1867, most countries had abolished the slave trade, with Britain actively enforcing this ban.
Britain had outlawed the slave trade in the early 1800s and abolished slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833.
Africa began to engage in legitimate trade, including:
Palm oil: Used for soaps, candles, and lubricants.
The British Royal Navy captured people who had been stolen into illegal slavery and brought them back.
Slavery continues to exist in modern times, although no form of slavery is legal:
Wage slavery (sweatshops) in Africa and South Asia.
Child soldiers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Organ trade where people are kidnapped and their organs are sold on the black markets.
India before and after 1857
Nawabs: Muslim princes ruling parts of India before the British.
Sepoys: Indigenous soldiers from South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India) in the British Army.
Two phases of Indian Colonization
Pre-1857: Indirect rule through the British East India Company (a company designed to make money, not rule).
Post-1857: Direct rule by the British Raj.
The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857:
Also known as the Great Rebellion or the First War of Independence (Indian perspective).
Centered on the unwillingness of the British to understand cultural differences and to respect cultural and religious traditions.
Rumors spread that the cartridge casings of the British Army were covered in animal fat (beef or pork).
Sepoys had to bite off the end of the cartridge to use it, which was offensive. Respectively, in Hinduism, cows are considered sacred, and in Islam, pork is forbidden for consumption.
The British East India Company lost control, leading to direct control by the British Raj.
The British Raj:
British-style government in India.
Run by a viceroy (governor) who represented the British monarch.
Benefits and Consequences of British Rule in India
Some benefits:
Centralized government.
Economic growth.
Infrastructure: railroads, hospitals, schools.
Three primary reasons for colonization:
National pride.
Access to raw materials.
Access to markets.
The British exploited India's:
Raw materials: Cotton was desired for textile mills in Britain.
Markets: British-owned companies were given exclusive rights to sell certain goods.
Negative Consequences:
Forced cotton farming led to famines, causing starvation in India. Because, emphasis was placed on cotton production, food crops such as rice and beans were no longer produces at the prior rates.
Indian textile industries were crushed due to lack of competition with British companies.
Queen Victoria and the Indian Civil Service
Queen Victoria crowned herself Empress of India in 1876.
British monarchs used the title, "King Emperor" until Indian independence in 1947.
India was known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British Empire.
Durbars: Displays of political power and wealth.
Indian Civil Service:
The British government relied on Indian civil servants to function.
Trained elite, educated Indians for government jobs.
Indian Nationalism
Indian National Congress:
Initially sought greater autonomy within the British system.
Later advocated for complete independence due to denied requests for greater say in government.
Spanish-American War
The United States initially opposed imperialism but adopted it in the late 1800s.
Motivated by better trade negotiations with an independent Cuba.
The U.S. supported Cuban independence from Spain and attacked Spanish territories in Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
The U.S. gained control of Puerto Rico and Guam and purchased the Philippines from Spain.
The United States and Latin America
The U.S. sought a canal across Central America to improve trade between the East and West coasts.
The U.S. supported Panama's independence from Colombia after Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build a canal.
The Panama Canal allows ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without going around South America.
The Crimean War
Russia sought access to the Black Sea by controlling the Crimean Peninsula.
Control could lead to passage through the strait, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
The war was fought between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
Britain and France supported the Ottoman Empire to prevent Russian expansion.
The Ottoman Empire won the war with British and French assistance.
The Ottoman Empire took a more active role in European trade and tied their currency to the British pound.
Russian Expansion and Pan-Slavism
Russia continued to expand west and east, leading to conflicts.
Slavophiles: Russian intellectuals who opposed Westernization and wanted to preserve Slavic culture.
Pan-Slavism: A movement to unite Slavic nations culturally and politically.
Sino-Japanese War
Japan sought its own sphere of influence in Northeast Asia, including Japan, Korea, and Manchuria.
The Sino-Japanese War (1894) was fought between China and Japan over Korea.
Japan won due to its industrialization, which the Chinese did not see as a cultural or moral benefit.
Rapid industrialization after the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1901.
Other Conflicts and Imperial Actions
The threat of regionalism.
Benito Juarez fought against the French.
Mexican army defeats the larger French army. Revolutionary war leads to problems with
Territory and Revolt
Territory Georgia: Refers to land claims or disputes in the Georgia region.
Maya Revolt in Mexico: The rebellion of the Maya people against the Mexican government.
Europeans exploit non-Europeans.
Europe dominates global commerce.
Latin America maintains vibrant cultures and some control despite European imperialism.
Rights to Self-Government
Colonizers' perspective: Generally, colonizers did not grant rights to self-government.
Australia and New Zealand
Britain granted more rights to Australia and New Zealand.
Reasoning: To prevent rebellion by giving more freedom, ensuring continued control.
Test Information
Study guide is posted.
Test format: 25 to 28 multiple-choice questions.