U.6 (1750-1900)

• Who used to have the upper hand in trade before European industrialization

  China
• Opium

  • Indian originated
  • Made from poppy plants, used coerced labor to farm
• Opium Trade

  • Trading Opium to China allowed them to gain economic control over China, as everyone was high
  • Ended up getting land in China, indirect imperialism
  • Europeans got the right to the natural resources in China
• What did Chinese Qing Emperor Yongzheng do to the Opium

  • Banned use of Opium, however didnt really have an affect
• Nanjing and Canton

  • British will completely take over
  • Highlighted how inferior non-industrialized nations were
• Treaty on Nanking

  • Treaty after the conclusion of Opium Wars
  • China has to give Hong Kong to Britain, pay 20M dollars, and open 4-5 more ports to foreigners: forced them into free trade
• Opium Wars

  • Turmoil due to British bringing in Opium
  • Chinese tried to set up a blockade, however got steamrolled due to European industrialization
• White Man's Burden

  • Believed it was a white man's personal duty to civilize other races (seen as inferior) economically and religiously
  • Motivator for imperialism
  • Written by Ruyard Kipling
• Imperialism

  • Expansion of an empire's influence across borders by military, political, or economic means.
  • Much worse than colonization, due to industrial revolution killing was much more efficient. (Weapons, Communications, Transportations)
  • British Empire(mainly), French, and the Dutch imperialize.
• Where did British Imperialize

  India, Malaysia, parts of China, Africa, Australia
• Where did the French Imperialize


  Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia (French-Indochina)
• Where did the Dutch Imperialize


  Indonesia
• Why was there Imperialization?


  Wanted to extract labor and resources from the nations they imperialized
• Berlin Conference

  • Africa was completely divided up
  • Africans had no say in the division
• Sepoy Rebellion

  • An unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in India, led by Sepoys(Indian fighters who worked for the British)
  • Caused due to the British East India Company altering the weapons using pork and cow fat (forbidden or sacred in Hindu and Muslim)
  • However because of the unsuccessfulness, Britain began to directly rule it, instead of indirectly using the British East India Company (Will be dissolved)
• Spheres of Influence

  • Britain owned areas due to Opium Wars, China was controlled using these
  • Will be politically dominated and economically exploited by Europeans
• How will Latin America be affected by Imperialism?

  Will be politically dominated and economically exploited by Europeans
• Indigenous people in the states, Australia, and New Zealand


  Lost a lot of their land and were either killed or removed
• What were products produced that fueled the drive for European Imperialism?

  Cotton, Rubber, Palm oil, ivory, and diamonds
• Cotton

  • Drive for European imperialism
  • Because of the US civil war, US were not importing Cotton: India and Egypt benefit from this and supplied raw cotton to Britain
  • Britain will colonize them, seeking to control cotton producing states
• Rubber

  • Drive for European imperialism
  • Charles Goodyear developed a process called vulcanization that eliminated an issue with hardening rubber, causing an increase in a need for rubber.
  • Used slavery for rubber
• Palm Oil

  • Drive for European imperialism
  • Machines were in need of constant lubrication
  • West African origination
• Diamonds

  • Drive for European imperialism
  • Cecil Rhodes and De Beers Mining company popularized diamonds.
• Ghost Dance

  • Indigenous practice against European Imperialism
  • Practiced by US indigenous people
  • Believed the dead would come back and drive off whites, used the dance to speed it up
• Tupac Amaru

  • Hereditary chief in Southern Peru, influenced state building through the attack of Villacambata
  • Killed a colonial, Spanish admin: leading to the last general slave revolt against Spain
• Xhosa Cattle Killing

  • Indigenous practice against European Imperialism
  • Due to British fighting and attempting to take over the Xhosa indigenous people
  • Killed 400k of their own cattle, torched thousands of acres of cropland, believed the spirits of the dead animals would come and kill the British. Didn't happen, starvation killed almost 40k Xhosas
• Economic Imperialism

  • When foreign businesses have great economic power or influence over a nation.
  • Takes advantage of the natural resources of the nation: people, raw materials, and refined materials
  • Colonies became used for profit, rather than producing
• How did the Industrial revolution support imperialism

  • Transportation got faster, weaponry more readily available, in general increased efficiency
  • Used advanced weaponry and communication to militarily dominate those who were not able to industrialize at the same speed.
• Migration

  • Indians moved to Africa & Caribbean
  • Chinese moved to Malaya and California
  • Japanese moved to Hawaii
• Effects of Migration

  • Diasporas(small ethnic communities) formed in many different places
  • Many men migrated, leaving their wives and children behind, leading to a shift of gender roles, women worked AND took care of kids
  • Racism
• Boxer Rebellion

  • Led by anti-imperialists in China called Boxers
  • Goal: kill all foreigners and Chinese Christians as they were considered indoctrinated (brainwashed) by Western thought
  • International army of soldiers from America, Britain, Japan, Russia, Germany, and France all came into China to stop the rebellion
  • Ended up giving Europeans more power, and Japan was allowed to dominate China
• Railroads

  • Import because they helped move products, people & troops, and information - compared to horses.
  • Facilitated the expansion of colonial empires by allowing for greater control and exploitation of colonized territories (due to being able to get their faster)
• Justification of Imperialism

  • Economic - getting labor and raw materials
  • White man's burden - Civilize other nations
  • Social Darwinism - belief that formed that Survival of the Fittest justified their imperialism
  • Missionaries - Bring religion (Catholic and Protestant) to civilize nations