The New Imperialism 18691914

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The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Between 1869-1914
• - Europeans seized territory in Africa and
  Central Asia
• - Both Europeans and Americans took territories
  in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
• - Approximately 10 million square miles and 150
  million people fell under the rule of Europe
  and the U.S. during this time.
• - This was a land grab of unprecented speed.

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The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• New Imperialism
• - more than just a land grab
• - Imperial powers used economic and
  technological Methods to reorganize dependent
  regions
• - those regions joined the world economy as
  SUPPLIERS of foods and raw materials AND as
  CONSUMERS of industrial products.

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The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• In Africa
• - this was done by CONQUEST and COLONIAL admin
• In Latin American republics
• - the same result was achieved indirectly as the
  nations became economically dependent on the
  U.S. and Europe even while maintaining their
  political independence.

4
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• - Political motives
• - Cultural motives
• - Economic motives
• - Still really the three Gs
• - Glory, God and Gold

5
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Political motives
• The great powers and some lesser power were very
  competitive and concerned with their status.
• - ex. France sought to reestablish prestige by
  acquiring
• territories overseas after its defeat by
  Prussia in 1871.
• - ex. Great Britain sought to protect its
  ownership of India by acquiring colonies in
  East Africa and Southeast Asia.

6
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Political motives
• Individual diplomats and colonial agents often
  took matters into their own hands.
• Often took over neighboring territories in the
  name of protecting what they already had, THEN
  informed their home government. The home
  government then felt obligated to back up their
  men.

7
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Cultural motives
• Christian revivals in Europe and North America
  in the late 19th century led both Catholics and
  Protestants to form new missionary societies
• Missionary societies
• Purpose
• To convert non-believers
• But also to bring civilized behavior
• eg. Abolish slavery, bring Western
  education, medicine,
• hygiene, and monogamous marriage.

8
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Cultural motives
• Religious work overseas attracted women
• Women who joined missionary societies were able
  to hold positions of greater authority than they
  could ever hope for at home
• often became teachers and nurses
• often help soften the harshness of colonial
  rule
• eg called attention to issues of maternity and
  womens health

9
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Cultural motives
• Sense of moral duty and cultural superiority not
  limited to missionaries
• general European and American idea that believed
  
• technological innovation progress and change
  for the better
• This attitude at least included the ideas that
  non-Western peoples could achieve the same
  cultural level as Europeans and Americans
• In contrast, Social Darwinists believed that
  different races represented different stages of
  biological development from civilized on down
  to savage
• To Social Darwinists, caucasions were always on
  the top of this ranking.
• Such ideas provided an excuse for rule over
  Africans and Asians.

10
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Economic motives
• Industrialization in Europe and North America
• Stimulated the demand for minerals (such as
  copper, tin, chrome, manganese, coal, gold,
  diamonds)
• Demand for industrial crops (such as cotton and
  rubber) grew
• Demand for stimulants (such as sugar, coffee,
  tea, and tobacco) also grew

11
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Economic motives
• Industrialization in Europe and North America
• Stimulated the demand for minerals (such as
  copper, tin, chrome, manganese, coal, gold,
  diamonds)
• Demand for industrial crops (such as cotton and
  rubber) grew
• Demand for stimulants (such as sugar, coffee,
  tea, and tobacco) also grew

12
The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Economic motives
• Economic depression led business men to pressure
  their own governments for stable, reliable raw
  materials and protected markets.
• Entrepreneurs and businessmen investing abroad
  wanted their investments to be safe, so they also
  sought the backing of their government,
  preferably with soldiers

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The New Imperialism 1869-1914

• Why did Europeans and Americans impose their will
  on other societies?
• Motives explain but why COULD the Europeans and
  Americans do this?
• The sudden increase in the power that industrial
  peoples could wield over non-industrial peoples
  and over nature MADE IT POSSIBLE.

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