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Published byBaldwin Cooper Modified over 8 years ago
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Imperialism The takeover of a country or territory by a stronger nation with the intent of dominating the political, economic, and social life of the people of that nation.
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*Why? Political Balance of Power Prestige Military victories, heroic
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Economic Industrialization: raw materials new markets Cheap Labor Investment Opportunities
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Exploratory Adventure Hunting Exploring Medical Research Scientific Research
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Religiously Christianize the “savages” Protect the missionaries Missions-Something new to talk about in Church goal to assimilate natives- make them in to Europeans
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Ideological The belief that the white race was superior to other cultures Europeans viewed other people as children or Paternalism Might makes Right Nation…Why not Empire!!!
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Social Darwinism and “White Man’s Burden” “Social Darwinism” A Pseudo (fake) Science stolen from the ideas of Charles Darwin Charles Darwin argued that there was a “survival of the fittest” on Earth and some animals were better at adapting than others Social Darwinism (racist) agued that Europeans technically advanced—so therefore—Europeans fittest “White Man’s Burden” to bring “civilization” to the world
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How?
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Inventions Transportation Trains speed of 35 m.p.h (stagecoach 10 m.p.h.) Steamships, cross Atlantic in 15 days, not 3 months
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Weapons Maxim Gun, first automatic machine gun Invented by an American fire hundreds of bullets per minute time to cool off Took 2-3 people to fire/feed ammo
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Communication Telegraph Lay wire on sea floor to connect countries
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Medicine Quinine, protects against malaria White mans’ grave. Sick and die People who live there get sick, immunity does not cure-it is a protection Sap from a tree in S.America Cinchona
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Africa “the Dark Continent”
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Before Imperialist Diversity over 1,000 languages various sizes of political bodies (from villages to empires) large Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist religions Europeans enter the scene 1450 AD They only could build forts on the coasts because of disease and strong African Armies Wanted slaves and refueling stations to reach Asia
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Explorer, Dr. David Livingstone Goal= bring “Christianity, commerce and civilization” Took 3 trips into the interior of Africa between 1841-73 Wrote travel-adventure books Made Africa into an adventure area “Discovered” Victoria Falls
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Scramble for Africa Started by King Leopold II of Belgium Conquered the Congo Basin, to “end slave trade” Brutally forced Africans to collect wild rubber
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$$$$ Wealth discovered—minerals and cash crops Minerals (Gold, Diamonds, Tin, Copper, Uranium, etc.) Diamonds in South Africa in 1867 Gold in South Africa in 1886 Cash Crops (Peanuts, Palm- Oil, Rubber, tobacco, cocoa, etc.)
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Rivalry Britain wanted Cape Town to Cairo (north/south) France wanted Dakar to Djibouti (east/west) Germany and Italy fearing to be left out rush to claim the leftovers
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Berlin Conference Fearing a war Bismarck sets up Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 set up rules for nations to carve up Africa colonies had to be "effectively occupied". not enough simply to put up a flag and say the region was yours. had to defend and administer the area By 1913, only Ethiopia and Liberia were free of Europe
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African Resistance Running away, refusing to work, sabotages, and violence
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Successful Resistance Menelik II of Ethiopia (oldest Christian Nation in the world) Played the Italians, British and French against each other Bought modern weapons from Russia and France Discovered that a treaty was misleading declared war on Italy in 1896 Ethiopia wins war and remains independent until WWII
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Effects of Imperialism Positive Reduced local warfare improved sanitation Hospitals and Schools Economic growth (telegraphs, railways, etc.) United in their hatred towards Europeans people live longer Negative lost lands, lost lives (to warfare and diseases) Cash crops caused famine destruction of cultures and traditional borders
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Results of Imperialism in Africa Most of these nations remained under European control until the 1960s, some as late as the 1990s Once independent they faced many problems: Crazy boarders that divide resources & populations Many ethnic groups in one nation Little infrastructure Corruption and dependency on imports
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