ImperialismMs. PhillipsMarch 20, 2007Global History

Global Studies: 2/4/2014 • I/O: To examine the key characteristics of the “New Age of

Imperialism”

• Key Question: How is European Imperialism in the 19th Century (1800’s) different from past periods of colonization?

• Key Words: Laissez Faire; White Man’s Burden

• CCS; 2;5

• Homework: #1: 630 – 639; 644 – 649 due today. #2 173 – 178 Review Book due Thursday.

• Regents Review begins again this Thursday!

Cause and Effect

• The Agricultural Revolution led to the Industrial Revolution which in turn led to the desire for more resources which led to the AGE OF IMPERIALISM.

The Age of Imperialism• 19-20th centuries• A time when stronger industrialized countries seized power or control over a smaller less industrialized nation tirelessly.

The Age of Imperialism

• Industrial Revolution + Nationalism = New Age of Imperialism

• Industrial Revolution...need...raw materials...cheap labor...new markets for goods.

• Nationalism = Belief in the superiority of your Nation/People

• How does Imperialism result from these two???

•

Imperialism• You can imperialize or extend your rule politically, economically, militarily, and socially.

Imperialism Poem• Whatever happens we have got, The Maxim gun, and they have not.

The Draw of Africa

• Europeans had little to no knowledge of the interior of the African continent.

That was until…

• David Livingstone a missionary/explorer criss-crossed Africa between 1841-1873.

Henry Morton Stanley• New York journalist with one directive: Find Livingstone

November 1871

• Stanley finds Livingstone and makes history by saying:

• “Doctor Livingstone, I presume.”

Description of the Interior• The interior is mostly a magnificent and healthy country of unspeakable richness. I have a small specimen of good coal, other minerals, such as gold, cooper, iron, and silver are abundant. I am confident that with a wise and liberal expenditure of capital, one of the greatest systems of inland navigation in the world might be utilized to extend capitalism and gain nutmeg, coffee, sesame seed, oil palms, rice, wheat, cotton, all the productions of Southern Europe, India-rubber, and sugar cane. All these productions may be made profitable.

Why Imperialize?• Why might many European countries begin looking toward Africa at this moment?

Motive 1: Industrialization• New sources of raw materials and natural resources were necessary to continue the industrialization process.

Motive 2: Nationalism• Gaining the land of others is a strong symbol of a nation’s pride, ability, and strength.

Charles Darwin• Scientist who believed in natural selection, or survival of the fittest. He did not advocate oppressing others!!!

Motive 3: Social Darwinism

• Darwin’s ideas of survival of the fittest are applied to societies around the world.

Survival of the Fittest• The fit enjoyed wealth and success and therefore were superior.

• Non-Europeans were deemed less fit because they were less industrialized, held less wealth, and were therefore deemed inferior.

Social Darwinism• Used to justify European actions such as taking over other nations by force and exploiting their resources.

• In other words, if all men are part of a species, some men are superior to other, by Nature and by God.

Motive 4: Missionaries• Christians wanted to spread their religion to gain as many followers as possible. The saw it as saving souls.

African Religions • Africa previously had numerous religions such as Animism or indigenous beliefs.

Motive 5: Division within Africa

• Many languages, cultures, and tribes made it difficult for Africans to organize a united front against the Europeans.

Valuable Resources• 1867: Diamonds were discovered • 1886: Gold was discovered

The Scramble for Africa

• 1880-1914• European competition for economic dominance and later direct rule over African territories

Discussion Question• What problems do you see with numerous Europeans rushing to claim territory within the African continent?

1884-1885: Berlin Conference• A foreign conference established to deal with the growing European interest in Africa.

The Goal

• To establish territorial claims by drawing political lines or borders throughout the continent to define ownership.

More realistically…

• To carve up Africa into countries to prevent future conflict between European countries.

Discussion Point• Who should be invited to the Berlin Conference?

Who Attended the Conference• Germany• Belgium• France• Portugal• Austria-Hungary• Denmark• Great Britain• Italy• Netherlands• Russia• Spain• Sweden/Norway• The Ottoman Empire• United States

Who did not Attend…• No Africans were asked to attend this conference which conceivably determined the future fate of their continent.

Results of the Berlin Conference

• Created boundaries that enclosed hundreds of diverse and independent groups, with little common history, culture, language, or religion.

For example: Nigeria

• Nigeria: • Contained over 250

ethno-linguistic groups

Oops Again

• Congo:Over 6,000 chiefdoms existed here

European oops Again

• Uganda:• Warring kingdoms of Buganda and Bunyoro were united into the

same colony.

In short…• Land and people became chess pieces rather then human beings on their own homeland.

Implications of the Scramble

• By 1914 onlyLiberia and Ethiopiawere independent or free from colonial rule.

Imperialism in perspective• 10,000 African polities are combined into 40 European

colonies and or protectorates.

The Effects of Imperialism• The effects varied by country but many effects included the exploitation of natural resources, human beings, and labor.

The Congo

King Leopold II: King of Belgium• “We must obtain a slice of this magnifique gateau Africain.”

Belgium

Belgium and the Congo

• If Belgium gained control of the Congo in 1885, what two events must they have participated in?

Belgium’s resources:• Ivory, Palm-oil, rubber, timber, copper, and 10 million people.

Heart of Darkness

• Joseph Conrad set his novel Heart of Darkness on the Congo when he wrote, • “The vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the

history of human conscience…”

Belgium’s Gain• Ivory was the most cherished natural resource that Belgium offered at first.

Resource 2: Rubber• Rubber grows in trees and vines in the Jungles of the Congo.

Extraction of RubberYou collect sap from the vines and or trees and roll the material as it coagulated.

The pneumatic tire

• Invented by Edouard Michelin: Used for bicycles and later vehicles.

Car Tires 1895• Rubber Tires, tubes, washers, springs, and valves were used for automobiles.

Rubber a.k.a. white gold• 1890: 100 tons of Rubber• 1898: 2,000 tons of Rubber• 1901: 6,000 tons of Rubber

The Demand Soared

• A.B.I.R: Anglo Belgian India Rubber company.

ABIR• Local populations should collect wild rubber in lieu of paying taxes to the state.

Quotas• An amount of production that you must fulfill in a specific length of time. • Each man had a quota of 5 kilos of dry rubber per night.

Sentries• Sentries were stationed throughout the villages to make sure the quotas were fulfilled.

Punishment

• Villagers who fell behind were flogged, imprisoned, and even shot.

• Sentries who didn’t fulfill the quotas were fired.

King Leopold’s Ghost

Hands

• Right hands were chopped off by soldiers to prove that they were not wasting bullets.

• Lasting Legacies

Rubber Profits• Initially a 60,000 Pound Profit became over a 720,000 Pound Profit.

Effect: Diminished Congolese Population• An estimated 20,000,000 people lived in the Congo when the Europeans arrived.

Consensus, 1911• 8.5 million people remained in the Congo

Reading and Homework• Read the denoted areas• Answer the following question:

• Using quotes from the text, how was Belgium’s colonization of the Congo an example of Imperialism?