Crash Course Questions to ask after (for the teacher) Why did the British sell opium to China? What was the result of the Treaty of Nanking? What was the Scramble for Africa? What were some of the major factors that helped Europeans colonize all of Africa? What resources did Africa have that Europeans needed? What role did steam ships play? Machine Guns

Motives for Imperialism Review of motives we have talked about

Economic Motives The Industrial Revolution led to a surplus of goods being produced in Europe, so Europeans needed new markets to sell their goods. In order to produce all of these new goods, Europeans needed cheap raw materials that Africa had an abundance of. Some of these were oil, rubber, and manganese. Europeans also wanted to claim key trading outposts so their goods could reach different markets quicker. Like the Suez Canal, which cuts thousands of miles off of the trip from Europe to Asia. In theory Europeans thought this would make them extremely rich but they did not realize that they were making the colonies too poor to buy their goods.

Exploratory Motives Human curiosity also played a role in Imperialism. Europeans wanted to explore areas that were unknown to them at the time. Europeans also thought that if they found “unexplored” land, they could claim that land for their patron.

Military/Political Motives Empires thought the best way to ensure their own survival was by expanding the territory they controlled. Europeans wanted to ensure the safety of trade so they established military bases all over the world to make sure they made as much money as possible from trade. Most European empires during this time flexed their muscle through navies. Since most colonies were across oceans, having strong navies was key.

Religious Motives Europeans, whether this was their true motive or not, saw it as their duty to spread religion, especially Christianity. With religion Europeans were also able to spread their languages with them. We can still see it today in countries across the world. A lot of the times missionaries were the precursor to direct control of a colony by European powers.

Ethnocentric Motives Social Darwinism Europeans especially believed that they were superior to none- Europeans. In reality, different cultures lived in different ways, no one way better than the other.

Wrap Up The Age of Imperialism had both its positives and negatives. It is the age that brought us closer to the modern, connected world we live in today, but it is also the age that would lead to the exploitation of millions and eventually led to a war unlike any other the world had yet experienced, World War One.