1. Modern World History Created by Ms. Vivirito
Imperialism WebQuest
Modern World History
Created by Ms. Vivirito

2. Objective
Students will learn about the 'New Imperialism' carried out by European powers in the late 1800's and early 1900's and discover how it impacted the people of Africa by investigating various readings, maps, graphs, and charts.
Write the questions on your own sheet of paper and answer them. IF you have a thumb drive, you can type and save it to that and print it at home.

3. Task Page 1
Background
Read this background piece and explain in three sentences what the Berlin Conference was and why it became necessary.
The Scramble for Africa
Answer the following questions based upon the map:
How many different countries have colonies?
Which country has the largest colonial empire?
Which continents are almost completely controlled by other countries?
Which continents are only controlled by a few countries?
Answer the following questions based upon the cartoon:
Which European countries were fighting for a position in Africa?
Based on the reading you just did, is the cartoon accurate? Does it really show what was going on at the time? Why or why not? 
How did the Berlin Conference lead to the situation shown in this cartoon?

4. Task Page 2 Data on Colonial Empires
Answer the following questions using the charts:
About how many square miles of territory does France control? Great Britain? Germany?
What is the TOTAL population controlled by the 5 countries shown in this chart?
For what purpose might these imperial nations use these people?
Based on this information, which country has the largest colonial empire? Does this answer agree with your answer to question 2 above in section A 'Imperialism Map' ?
Answer the following questions using the chart:
What percentage of Africa is colonized by 1913?
Identify three effects this might have on the world.

5. Task Page 3 Africa Map Comparison
Answer the following questions using the maps:
What is the main difference between the 2 maps?
What part did the Berlin Conference play in the creation of the latter map?
What happened to the native African political entities by 1914?
According to the latter map, which two European countries held the most territory in Africa?
Answer the following question using the maps:
How did the Scramble for Africa in the 1800's and 1900's affect the current borders of Africa?

6. Task Page 4
Historical Context: Click on the indicated websites in order to answer the following questions.  These questions are designed to show the condition of the world during the time of imperialism, including what kinds of governments existed and which economies were strong.
Go to Living Conditions in
Describe the infant mortality rate of Africa and Asia in 1900?
About what percentage of workers in Africa and Asia that were employed in agriculture (meaning, having the least amount of industry)?
Which continents seemed to have the lowest adult literacy rate in the world?
How could imperialism have contributed to this?
Go to Governments in the 1900's
Where are the democracies around the year 1900?
What type of government existed in Africa?  How could imperialism have contributed to this?

7. Task Page 5 Historical Context (continued):
Go to Big Cities in the Beginning of the Century
How many large cities are there in Europe?  Name three.
How many large cities are in the US?  Name three.
How many large cities are there in Africa?  What does this tell you about African industry?
Go to British Empire in 1914
Why did some people say that the “sun never set on the British empire?”
How did imperialism help Britain?  What types of resources does this map show Britain getting from their colonies?
Go to French Empire in 1914
By looking at this map and comparing it to #2, does France seem as strong an imperial power as Britain?  Why is this significant?

8. Conclusion Page 6 Answer the following questions:
Why was the control of Africa critical to European nations in 1913?
Using this chart, characterize the history of conflict in Africa.
Using this chart, characterize the post-independence political environment in Africa.
How did European partitioning across Africa contribute to conflict, civil war, and artificial political boundaries?

10. Population of Colonies 1914
Area of Colonies 1914
Population of Colonies 1914
1914

11. Political Divisions in Africa 1914

13. Africa Today