Building Overseas Empires
9.1
The New Imperialism: Section 1Note Taking Transparency 160
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Motives for Imperialism
• Economic Interests• Political and Military• Religious and Humanitiarian• Social Darwinism
Economic Interests
• Natural Resources- Rubber, oil, minerals, palm oil• New Markets- for factory goods and
investment opportunities
Political and Military
• Desire for Naval bases, ports and harbors to protect trade• Nationalism –pride and prestige of
empire builiding
Religious and Humanitarian
• “white man’s burden” – belief in “helping” Africans, Asians• Missionaries• Sharing medicine, law, and
regilion(Christianity)
Social Darwinism
• Racial superiority• The idea that European were better
by evolution and others were less “evolved” or subhuman
The Rapid Spread of Western Imperialism 1870-1914
Colonialization by soldiers, merchants, settlers, missionaries, and explorers
European bankers, factory owners, and workers all approve
Causes
• Weakness of non-western states- Middle East, India, China, Africa
• Strength of European- powerful armies and navies, economy, well organized government, medicine
• Weapons- machine guns and
Resisting Imperialism
• Countries fight back with nationalist movements
• European criticism- imperialism is immoral and undemocratic
Forms of Imperial Rule
• French –direct rule-impose culture• British- indirect rule- locals rule
under the advice and influence of England• Protectorate• Sphere of Influence – an area in
which and outside country has exclusive economic rights(China)