Imperialism: Asia and Latin America

Imperialism in China China wanted to remain isolated, but Europeans wanted to trade with them and take advantage of the natural resources and new markets In order to get the Chinese to get the Chinese to open more ports for trade, the East India Company (British) offered China opium

Imperialism in China Opium is a dangerous, highly addictive drug The drug opium is derived from the poppy plant. Poppy was mostly grown in India, then sold in China. The Opium War : China vs. Britain Began when the Chinese government wanted to stop the influx of opium after many of the population become addicts The British won because of their technological advantage (large gunboats)

Imperialism in China After the Opium War, China soon gets carved up by Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and The United States. These nations set up spheres of influence.

Imperialism in China In response to these new spheres of influence, a group of people fought back to oust the outsiders from China Known as the Boxer Rebellion, this uprising was unsuccessful and led to even more control by outside nations. An Open Door Policy was then created. It stated that all countries had an equal opportunity to trade in a certain place within China.

Imperialism in Japan Isolationism ended in Japan when the United States forced Japan to sign a treaty opening its ports to foreign trade Japan went from being a feudal state to a modern industrial nation able to defeat China and Russia and expand into the Asian continent. This era is called the Meiji Restoration. Commodore Matthew C. Perry (American) was in charge of the naval force sent to Japan in 1853 that opened up trade to outside nations.

Imperialism in Latin America The United States built the Panama Canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This canal made it possible to expand trade for east coast, American businesses to the west coast and Asian markets, without having to travel all the way around South America. Because the United States owned the canal, it controlled who could travel through and tax at whichever rate it wanted. This meant that the United States had virtual complete control over the economy of Panama and other Latin American nations.