Reaches of the British Empire (United Kingdom) 1700’s-1900’s
What is happening in this picture?
What do you think all these people are doing?
Where do you think this event is happening?
The Age of Imperialism
1875-1914
Red-coated British soldiers stand at attention around a royal
pavilion during a ceremony in India. Britain’s Queen Victoria
took the title Empress on India in 1876.
The Age of Imperialism
• Imperialism = a
policy of
conquering and
ruling other
lands
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Britain’s lead was challenged.
• In the mid-1800s, Britain was the most powerful nation in the
world.
– It’s factories produced more goods than those of any other country.
– The British Navy guarded the oceans so that those goods could be shipped
safely to ports around the globe.
– British banks loaned the money needed to build factories, mines, and railroads
worldwide.
• By the late 1800s, however, Germany and the United States
were challenging Britain’s economic leadership.
• Faced with possible decline, Britain looked increasingly to its
colonies for markets and resources.
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Imperialism fostered rivalries.
• Other countries followed Britain’s lead and came to see
colonies as necessary for their economic well-being.
– The French and Dutch expanded their holdings and by 1900 France had an
empire second in size only to Britain’s.
– Spain and Portugal attempted to build new empires in Africa.
– Austria-Hungary moved into the Balkans.
– Russia expanded into the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Siberia.
• Countries that had no colonies set out to acquire them.
– Belgium, Italy, and Germany all took over lands in Africa (with Germany also
taking an interest in East Asia & the Pacific islands).
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Imperialism fostered rivalries.
(continued)
• Two non-European countries, the United States and Japan,
also became involved in overseas expansion during this
period.
– Both the U.S. and Japan were interested in East Asia.
– The U.S. was also deeply tied to Latin America.
• Increasingly, Europeans viewed an empire as a measure of
national stature.
• Thus, the race for colonies grew out of a strong sense of
national pride as well as from economic competition.
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Europe believed in its own superiority.
• Following the Industrial Revolution, Europeans regarded their
new technology (weaponry, telegraphs, railroads etc.) as
proof they were better than other peoples.
• This attitude is a reflection of racism, the belief that one race
is superior to others.
• Europeans believed that they had the right and duty to bring
the results of their progress to other countries.
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Europe believed in its own superiority.
(continued)
• Some of this push for expansion of the European way of life
came from missionaries.
– One of the most famous of these missionaries was David Livingstone,
a minister from Scotland who went to Africa to preach the Gospel and
helped to end the slave trade there.
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Imperialism had mass appeal.
• In the late 1800s, Europeans and Americans were eager to
read about adventures in distant places.
• Newspapers competed for readership by hiring reporters to
search the globe for stories.
– One of the most famous reporters of the day was Henry Stanley.
• Stanley was hired in 1871 to find David Livingstone who had traveled deep
into the heart of Africa and hadn’t been heard from in some years.
• Ten months later, Stanley caught up with Livingstone and his account of
their meeting made headlines around the world. Stanley became an
instant celebrity.
Nations competed for overseas empires.
Imperialism had mass appeal.
(continued)
• Novels and poetry also glorified Imperialism .
– The most popular writer of the day was Joseph Rudyard Kipling (18651936).
– Kipling appealed not only to his readers’ sense of adventure but also
the their feelings of superiority.
– He saw imperialism as a mission to “civilize non-Europeans” and urged
his readers to:
Take up the White Man’s BurdenSend forth the best ye breedGo bind your sons to exileTo serve your captives’ need…
An 1890s advertisement for soap
uses the theme of the White
Man's Burden, encouraging
white people to teach
cleanliness to members of other
races.
The Age of Imperialism
• In answering the call of imperialism,
Europeans altered the way of life on
every continent.
The Age of Imperialism
•
Questions to Consider
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(a) What countries challenged Britain’s economic leadership? (b) How was
the search for colonies a response to Britain’s declining share in world
trade?
What part did each of the following play in imperialism? (a) markets (b) raw
materials (c) national pride
What attitude did people in industrialized countries have toward other
peoples?
(a) What part did missionaries play in imperialism? (b) How did newspapers
and writers encourage imperialism?
Reread the lines from Kipling’s poem. (a) What did he mean by “the White
Man’s Burden”? (b) What was the exile of which he spoke? (c) What does
the word captives indicate?
EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN AFRICA
Africa was one of Europe’s
primary targets for empirebuilding in the 1800’s
• The “Scramble for Africa” began in
1881. The nation's that were involved
were Britain, Germany, France, Spain,
Belgium, Portugal, and Italy were the
main country's involved in the scramble
for Africa.
• These European nations were looking
for natural resources such as petroleum,
gold , diamonds, timber, and ivory.
Africans were also used for slave trade to
the triangle trade to bring slaves to the
New America's. This affected Africa by
separating and splitting everybody up so
they could not communicate with tribes.
• The Europeans manufactured borders
to isolate different Africans.
• It was very easy for Europeans to
dominate Africa because of the
Technology they possessed as well as a
good military.
The Americas were
targets of
European Imperialism
from the 15th to the
20th centuries.
Is there a difference
between
“Cultural Imperialism”
and
“Political Imperialism”?
Predominant religions of the world,
mapped by state
1534
Brazil according to the
Treaty of Tordesillas
1789
Brazil according the the
Treaty of Madrid (1750)
The United States of America was Imperialistic as well.
The U.S. has asserted its presence throughout the
Western Hemisphere.
• President James Monroe, in the annual message to Congress, announced
the following doctrine on December 2, 1823:
"The American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have
assured and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future
colonization by any European powers. We should consider any attempt on their part
to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace
and safety."
By the turn of the twentieth century, the United States had established an
international empire.
Critical Terms Leading up to the World Wars (#1):
• Imperialism (enhance your current definitions to include the following) is "the creation
and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationship, usually
between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and
subordination."
• Nationalism involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political
entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. Often, it is the belief that an ethnic group
has a right to statehood, or that citizenship in a state should be limited to one ethnic
group, or that multi-nationality in a single state should necessarily comprise the right to
express and exercise national identity even by minorities.
•Militarism the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain
a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote
national interests.
Critical Terms Leading up to the World Wars (#2):
•An Alliance (i.e., allies or allied powers) is an agreement or friendship between two or
more parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests.
•A Treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by sovereign
states and/or international organizations.
Algiers, Algeria, today