Industrialized nations like European powers, the United States, Russia, and later Japan strengthened control over their colonies and established overseas empires in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific between the 18th-19th centuries. They did so to gain profits from trade, capture markets for factory goods, absorb excess populations, and achieve national prestige. Imperialism involved the political and economic domination of weaker nations by stronger industrialized countries through military force, cooperation with local elites, and the use of new technologies like guns and steam ships.

1. Imperialism in the 18th & 19th
Centuries

2. IMPERIALISM (1770s-1914)
Industrialized nations (Europe, U.S.,
Russia, and later Japan)
strengthened their control over their
colonies AND established
transoceanic empires throughout
Asia, the Pacific, and Africa.
Imperialism is this extension of
political and economic control of
stronger nations over weaker nations

3. European Colonies - 1700

4. Industrialized nations control
by 1900

7. WHY did industrialized
nations seek to control
other areas of the world in
the 18th and 19th centuries?

8. Western nations wanted:
PROFIT!!

9.  To control the trade of valuable
products around the world-
industrialization and growing affluence
led to the need for extensive raw
materials and agricultural products

10.  markets for their factory
products-sometimes European
factories produced more than
Europeans could consume for
themselves

11.  Absorb the excess population of
European nations-avoid class conflict at
home-p. 880 (War is Peace? 1984)
 Nationalism- “Great Power” status in a
competitive political system (Italy and
Germany)

12. ABCs for Baby Patriots-1899

13. New Perceptions of “other” p 881

14.  Missionaries, aid societies, and
others wanted to “Christianize”
and/or “civilize” people in less
developed regions.
•By 1910, 10,000
missionaries in
Africa
•By the 1960s, 50
million Africans
were Christian

16. Social Darwinism-p 882

17. HOW did they do it?
Industrialized nations:
 Used their stronger militaries
(using superior firepower,
military technology, & navies)
 Relied on native elites who were
Western educated

18. Maxim
Gun and
Breech-
loading
rifles

19. •Steam ships
and British
control of Suez
Canal
•Underwater
telegraph cables

20. Industrialized nations:
 Used their wealth for influence
 Had support by industrialists,
military, and religious groups

21. Industrialized nations had:
 Medicines and medical technology-
Quinine to prevent malaria

22. JUSTIFICATION for
Imperialism
 Widespread belief among
imperial powers that European
races SHOULD dominate the
world.
 SOCIAL DARWINISM – survival
of the world’s best races

23. Social Darwinism
•Based on the ideas
of Charles Darwin
and the “survival of
the fittest.”
•European
dominance involved
the destruction or
displacement of
“backward” people
or “unfit” races.
•Imperial
aggression was
seen as both natural
and progressive.

25. The Rhodes
Colossus
©2012, TESCCC

26. The British Empire 19th century

28. The partition of Africa 1800s

29. Scramble for Africa
 By 1914, 90% of Africa under European
control
 Berlin Conference in 1885 sets ground
rules for European colonization of Africa
 Hardest to conquer decentralized
societies w/ no formal state structure-
village by village

30. The partition of Africa 1914

31. • See if you can identify part of the problem
with colonization.

32. Scramble for Africa
 Consequences
 Traditional way of life disrupted
 Economic exploitation of Africans
 European racism imported into Africa
 Spread of European culture-education
and religion
 Spread of Western technology
 Change to women’s roles

33. Scramble for Africa
 Economic Consequences-Rise in forced
labor within Africa
 Forced Labor-Belgian Congo most infamous
case of abuse
 Cash-Crop agriculture-often led to famine
for local people and dependence on foreign
markets
 Wage Labor-migration of labor, urbanization,
mines

34. ECONOMIES of FORCED LABOR
 Colonial subjects were required / forced to
work as unpaid laborers on public projects
like building railroads, constructing
government buildings, and transporting
goods.
 French Africa – 10-12 days labor per year
 Belgian Congo – private companies with state
support terrorized natives to collect rubber
 Netherlands East Indies – peasants required to
turn 20% of their land into cash crop agriculture
 Portuguese Mozambique – brutal enforcement of
cotton production quotas

36. British control of India-British
East India Company

37. Indian Rebellion1857-58
•Based on a
series of Indian
grievances
towards the
British
•Led to
intolerance of
natives and direct
control by the
British
government

38. Britain (United Kingdom)
Includes England, Scotland, Wales,
Ireland
 Largest colonial empire
 “Sun never sets on the British Empire”
 Colonies established to protect trading interests in Africa
and Asia
 Two kinds of colonies
 “White” Colonies (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa) Populated mainly by people that moved there from
Britain
 Given self-rule
 “Non-white” Colonies (India, Africa)
 Under indirect rule
 Populated mainly by people who are native to the area
 Few people from Britain actually live there – but control the
government

39. What is being
advertised?
Where is this taking
place?
How can you tell?
What is going on?
What does it tell us
about imperialism /
colonialism?
Who was the queen
at the time?
Common advertisement during Imperialism

40. A British Merchant's Home in Colonial India

41. European Imperialism in India
 Consequences of British Imperialism in India
 British educational system established-creates
cultural divide between educated and
uneducated
 Spread of English language
 Railroads tie India together
 Rise of Indian middle class-Western educated
and eventually politically active