Imperialism: Machines and Imperialism Unit Nine Day One Teacher’s Edition

Today’s Main Idea: In the late 1800s, European powers claimed land in much of Africa. This quest for land was powered by the industrial revolution.

Imperialism by the book… The extension of a nation’s power over other lands

Industrial Growth: Industrial growth and increased agricultural supply allowed many people for the first time had money to spend on consumer goods This lead to increased production of consumer goods. Examples of consumer goods from today: – TVs – Computers – IPods

The Quest for Resources: Industrial growth during the 19 th century created greater need for raw materials Raw materials were found in large quantities in Asia and Africa The need for these materials pressed European’s to gain new lands

Trade: Raw materials found in Africa and Asia fueled new tools to be used in manufacturing – for example oil and rubber. In exchange for raw materials European countries would send goods produced in their mother countries to their colonies.

Political Competition: Imperialism exemplifies European political competition You did not want to have less colonies then your neighbor New nations like Germany and Italy increased the competition Having colonies was a sign of wealth and power

Cultural Motives: European settlers felt superior to the natives – Believed they were biologically superior Felt it was their duty to civilize the Africans Europeans were strong believers in Social Darwinism

Advancing into Africa: Originally most Europeans had just explored the coast of Africa Quinine allowed Europeans to protect themselves against Malaria and explore Africa The Suez Canal created increased interest Africa was seen as a land of great economic potential

The Berlin Conference: Europeans wanted to prevent conflict between themselves on the continent At the Berlin Conference they laid out the rules for the colonization of Africa They divided up Africa without the consent or the presence of the African leaders

The Boer War The Boer’s (they were Dutch) had lived in South Africa for about 200 years The Boer’s discover there is gold and refuse to allow other Europeans to live in the area The British wanted into the region The British were outnumbered They burned the Boer’s farms and destroyed many of their villages Over 20,000 Boer women and children died in camps The British won the war and held the territory till 1902

The Belgian Congo: This colony was different because it was not ruled by a country, it was the personal property of King Leopold II of Belgium He used the territory to grow rubber The need for rubber had greatly increased because of the invention of the bicycle and the automobile He forced his subjects into slave labor to produce these goods The human atrocities were so bad in the Congo that an international outcry forced the Belgian government to take over

Resistance: Not all Africans passively accepted colonization Ethiopia was the only African nation able to retain its independence The colonization of Africa had a strong impact on Africa, most of its valuable resources were being stripped and kept by the Europeans