HIST Technology in Historical Perspective Department of History and Politics Drexel University Professor Lloyd Ackert “Instruments of Empire”
I. Introduction 1. Technology and Imperialism Overseas empires Reciprocal relationship Profit in empire? 2. Steamships, telegraphs, railroads Phases of empire: a. Penetration -warships, medicine b. Consolidation - public works Breech-loading rifle
3. “Free trade” End of the East India Company monopoly. 4. History of medicine Chinchona tree – tropical diseases
II. Steamships and trade 1. Introduction of steam power. 2. Anglo-Burmese war ( ) A. Irrawaddy river -Diana “fire devil”
B. mapping as a technology of imperialism -James Rennell’s Map of Hindoostan (1782) and Bengal Atlas (1779) James Rennell ( ) Hindoostan
Bengal Atlas
C. The Ganges river between Calcutta and Allahabad (1834- ) -Hugh Lindsay (2 80 hp engines, Suez Canal (1869), Mediterranean, Bombay) Hooghly River, 1915 Hugh Lindsay
Suez Canal
- Opium Opium Den in Calcutta
—The following table, compiled from official documents, exhibits the growth of the three most important sources of the public revenue of India, namely, land, opium and salt, in the ten financial years, ending March 31, :
III. Telegraphs 1. Different contexts: A. Western Europe and North America B. India
2 Marquis of Dalhousie A. cotton in Nagpur for example B. Network C. The so-called ‘Indian Mutiny’ (1857) circa 1850: British politician and administrator James Andrew Broun-Ramsey ( ). Ramsay, the 10th Earl of Dalhousie, was elected governor-general of India in 1847 and held the post until He was created Marquis of Dalhousie in 1849 but the title died with him. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
3. Public Works Department A. Dharwad cotton B. Royal Indian Engineering School at Cooper’s Hill Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt's Royal Indian Engineering College at Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames at Runnymede,
IV. Railroads 1. Powerful influence on commerce, politics and society 2. Large banking investments A. India B. South Africa
V. Conclusions