Imperialism
Imperialism occurs when a strong nation takes
over a weaker nation or region and dominates its
economic, political, or cultural life.
Earliest Empires
Age of Conquest
19th-20th century
Past Essays
DBQ – Jan. 2003
• Historical Context:
• The geographic factors of location and
availability of resources have affected the history
of Great Britain and Japan.
• Task:
• • Compare and contrast the effect of geographic
factors such as
location and availability of resources on the
political and economic
development of Great Britain and Japan
DBQ – Aug 2011
For a variety of reasons, groups have set out to conquer
other regions or people using various methods of force.
These groups include the Mongols, the Spanish, and the
Ottoman. Their conquests have had an impact on both the
conqueror and the conquered.
• Explain a reason for the conquest
• Explain how the conquest was achieved
• Discuss an impact of the conquest
Ancient Empires
•
•
•
•
•
•
Persian
Hellenistic
Roman
Byzantine
Mongolian
Ottoman
Good Leadership
Expansion of Land
Golden Age
Peace/Prosperity
Economic Gain
Tolerance
Poor Leadership
Rivals
Division of Land
Foreign Invasion
Inflation &
Debasement of
Coins
Persian Empire (500s-362 BC)
Darius –
• Satrapies
• Taxation
• Royal road
• Pony express
• 4 capitals
•War with Greeks –
Marathon/ Salamis
•Defeated by Alex the
Great
Hellenistic Empire (362-30 BC)
• Alexander the Great blending of Greek, Egyptian, Persian that
gave rise to advancements in math, science, art, and literature.
(Aristotles, Aristarchus, Archimedes, Hippocrates, Pythagoras,
Euclid)
• Unexpected death – no heir – civil war
June 2010
71. One way in which the actions of
Alexander the Great, Saladin, and Shaka
Zulu are similar is that each implemented
(1) military strategies to defeat opponents
(2) constitutions to define political powers
(3) policies to increase religious persecution
(4) legal changes to protect human rights
Roman Empire (27 BC – 495 AD)
Emperors –
•Strong army
(legion)
•Proconsuls collect
taxes in provinces
•Roads/bridges/
aqueducts/walls
Emperors to know: Augustus,
Nero, Trajan, Hadrian, Diocletian,
Constantine
•Pax Romana
Theme: Change—Collapse of Government
January 2013
The sudden death of a ruler, a defeat in war, or a successful revolution has often
led to the collapse of a government. Political, social, and economic changes have
occurred as a result of the collapse of a government.
Task:
Select two situations where the collapse of a government has led to significant
changes in a country or region and for each
• Describe the historical circumstances that led to the collapse of a government
• Discuss the political, social, and/or economic changes that occurred as a result
of the collapse
You may use any situation from your study of global history and geography in
which the collapse of a government led to significant changes in a country or
region. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include collapse of the
Roman Empire, collapse of Louis XVI’s government,
Cause of Collapse
• Barbarian invasion
• Diocletian Divided
• Debased coinage
• Inflation/Unemployment
• Christianity (Edict of Milan)
• Slave farmers - latifundia
• Corruption/weak emperors - Commodus
August 2012
76. Which factor contributed to the fall of the Han
dynasty, the fall of the Roman Empire, and the
fall of the Abbasid Empire?
(1) invasions by nomadic peoples from Central Asia
(2) demands for religious freedom by Christians
(3) long periods of drought that led to isolation
(4) dependence on slaves to produce manufactured
goods
• A study of the fall of the Roman Empire (476)
and of the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)
shows that powerful empires can
(1) lose strength when mercenaries enforce reforms
(2) be threatened only when directly attacked by
outsiders
(3) conquer more than one continent and remain
stable
(4) be weakened by both internal and external
pressures
Byzantine Empire
• Created from eastern half of Roman Empire by
Diocletian (wealthier ½)
• Preserved Greco-Roman tradition.
•Capital Constantinople
(trade!!!)
•Orthodox Christianity –
impacted Russia (Orthodox
& Cyrillic Alphabet)
•Collapsed after Seljuk &
Ottoman invasions (Crusades
tried to protect) in 1453.
Jan 2011
Which development is most closely associated with
the beginning of the Byzantine Empire?
(1) emergence of the Russian Orthodox Church
(2) division of the Roman Empire
(3) building of the Hagia Sophia
(4) fall of Constantinople
June 2013
The introduction of the Cyrillic alphabet and
Orthodox Christianity to Russia is most closely
associated with
(1) Viking conquests
(2) Byzantine missionaries
(3) Alexander the Great’s armies
(4) Ottoman expansion
Native American Empires
• Aztec –
1. Conquered by Cortes
– better technology
and guns
2. Chinampas
3. Collected tributes
4. Fierce warriors
5. Sophisticated culture –
architecture and
calendar
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Incas –
Conquered by Pizzaro
Terrace farming
Road Network
Quipu
Sophisticated culture
• What was one reason the Spanish conquistadors were
able to conquer the Aztec Empire?
(1) The Spanish soldiers made effective use of
their military technology against the Aztecs.
(2) Aztec religious beliefs promoted nonviolence.
(3) Spain joined the Incas in their fight against
the Aztecs.
(4) The Spanish cavalry outnumbered the Aztec
warriors.
Mongolian Empire (1100-1200 AD)
• The Mongols were a nomadic tribe of herders who lived in
Central Asia.
Terms:
Genghis Khan
Golden Horde
Kublai Khan
Mughal India
(Akbar)
Pax Mongolia
Marco Polo
Ottoman Empire (1400s-1917)
• Migrated from C. Asia by 1453 took over
Byzantine Empire’s Constantinople. Peak had 3
continents. Cannons & muskets.
• Suleiman
(1520-66) – Shariah
Laws, efficient
bureaucracy.
Decline – cut out of
global trade (explorers),
“Sick Man of Europe”,
Armenian Mass., WWI
• One way in which Suleiman the
Magnificent and Akbar the Great are
similar is that they both brought about
periods of
(1) political stability and religious tolerance
(2) religious conquest and persecution
(3) isolationism and cultural stagnation
(4) modernization and political disunity
Old Imperialism
1490s
Reasons:
• Excess capital for
investment (joint-stock
companies)
• New technology
(astrolabe, gunpowder)
• Desire to gain new route
to spice islands/India
(avoid Italians and Turks)
• Religion (spread
Catholicism – Isabella or
freedom – Puritans)
• Spain mines silver in the Americas.
• The Dutch establish a colony in Southeast Asia.
• The English E. India Co. controls tea plantations in India.
Which policy is most closely associated with these events?
(1) pacifism (3) nonalignment
(2) mercantilism (4) containment
• Which statement demonstrates a major characteristic of
mercantilism in colonial Latin America?
(1) Colonies developed local industries to compete with
Spain.
(2) Spanish colonies traded freely with English colonies.
(3) Spain instituted democratic governments in its colonies.
(4) Colonies were a source of raw materials for Spain.
Spanish Imperialism
• Isabel and Ferdinand – after Reconquista turned to world
– used Columbus (Italian)
• Philip II – fought many wars against Ottomans (Lepanto)
and other Europeans (English) to maintain his territory.
Practice Question
•
The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), concerning Latin
America, and the Berlin Conference (1884-1885),
concerning Africa, were similar in that each
agreement
1. provided for self-government by the native peoples
2. declared that in these areas monarchs rule by
divine right
3. divided each area into European-controlled
segments
4. suppressed revolts by native peoples against
European imperialists
Explorers to Know
• Christopher Columbus – discovered new world
(Caribbean) in 1492 for Spain.
• Ferdinand Magellan – circumnavigated globe for
Spain.
• Vasco de Gama – went south of Africa to India for
Portugal.
• Henry Hudson – looking for NW Passage
discovered “New Netherlands” – Hudson River.
• Zheng-He – explored for China to Africa … spent so
much money that China gave up exploration for
good.
• The journeys of Vasco da Gama, Bartholomeu
Dias, and Christopher Columbus became possible
in the late 1400s because of the
(1) support of exploration by the English
government
(2) trade connections established by Ibn Battuta
(3) effects of the Atlantic slave trade
(4) development of new navigational instruments
and technology
Other Terms:
mercantalism,
Columbian Exchange,
Middle Passage
Old Imperialism – or the
“Encounter”
Results
• New routes explored (Magellan
circumnavigated globe)
• Aztecs/Incans populations declined (smallpox
& forced labor)
• Encomienda system (forced labor)
established
• Movement of people (slavery)
• Cultural diffusion (Catholicism in L. America,
Spanish & Portuguese language)
• The encomienda system in colonial Latin
America led to the
(1) use of forced labor
(2) establishment of trade unions
(3) increase in landownership by Native
Americans
(4) weakening of the power of peninsulares
Social Structure of the Spanish
Colonies
Most
Power
Peninsulares
People born
in Spain
Viceroys- Spanish
Governors of
colonies
Creoles
People of European descent
Born in the colonies
Mestizos
Mulattoes
People of Native
People of mixed
American and
African and
European
European descent
Fewer
People
Generally Educated,
but lacked power
Descent
Peons - Native Americans & African Descent
Least
Power
Most
People
Global 2 – Long Last Impact
• Class resentment between Peninsulares, Creoles
and Mestizos will lead to revolutions in Mexico
(Hidalgo, etc)
• Never truly resolved until 1900s with Zapata and
efforts of land redistribution
• Prejudice still exist against those with Native
American heritage
• Cash crop economy and mercantalistic habits will
cripple Latin America until import substitution
and rise of manufacturing after WW2
One principle in the theory of mercantilism is that colonies
should be
1.
2.
3.
4.
granted independence as soon as possible
considered an economic burden for the colonial power
encouraged to develop their own industries
acquired as markets and sources of raw materials
A major result of the Age of Exploration was
1. a long period of peace and prosperity for the nations of
Western Europe
2. extensive migration of people from the Western Hemisphere
to Europe and Asia
3. the fall of European national monarchies and the end of the
power of the Catholic Church
4. the end of regional isolation and the beginning of a period of
European global domination
• The social class system in Latin America during
the 16th and 17th centuries reflects the
(1) dominance of Spanish-born nobility
(2) emerging equality between classes
(3) influence of mestizo economic power
(4) increasing social mobility of Native American
Indians
New Imperialism
Causes
• Agrarian Revolution – Rise of Population
• Industrial Revolution – Machines need new
raw materials (cotton – India/Egypt; rubber –
Congo)
• Humanitarian – “White Man’s Burden”
• New Technology – Quinine, Maxim Gun,
Livingstone’s maps
• Balance of Power – International
Competition and Nationalism
Source for
Raw
Materials
Industrial
Revolution
Markets for
Finished
Goods
European
Nationalism
Missionary
Activity
European
Motives
For Colonization
Military
& Naval
Bases
Social
Darwinism
Places to
Dump
Unwanted/
Excess Popul.
European
Racism
“White
Man’s
Burden”
Humanitarian
Reasons
Soc. & Eco.
Opportunities
Take up the White Man's burden-Send forth the best ye breed-Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captive's need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild-Your new-caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child. …
Take up the White Man's burden,
And reap his old reward-The blame of those ye better
The hate of those ye guard-The cry of those ye humor
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:-"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"
Regents Multiple Choice
The 19th century term “White Man’s Burden” reflects the idea that
1.
2.
3.
4.
Asians and Africans were equal to Europeans
Asians and Africans would be grateful for European help
imperialism was opposed by most Europeans
Europeans had a responsibility to improve the lives of the colonial peoples
The phrase “White Man’s burden” in this excerpt refers to the
1.
2.
3.
4.
negative attitude of Europeans toward peoples of the non-Western world
advantages Europeans would gain by colonizing Africa, Asia, and Latin
America
positive role of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa and Asia
challenges non-Europeans faced when trading with the Europeans
Need for military bases to protect interests.
•Wished to create a series of British colonies from
South Africa to Egypt “Cape to Cairo” railroad
Regents Multiple Choice
Which is an accurate statement about the
partitioning of Africa by European imperialist
nations during the 1800’s?
1. new nations were based on old tribal
boundaries
2. the cultural and ethnic diversity of the African
people was disregarded
3. the continent was divided equally among the
colonial powers
4. African unity was encouraged
People to Know
African Imperialism
• King Leopold (Belgium)– Congo – severe human right
violations – cut off hands if not meeting quota
• Otto von Bismarck – called Congress wanted Germany to
take active role in industrialism/imperialism
• Queen Victoria (England) – wanted to “Paint Africa
Red”; “Sun Never Sets on English Empire”; created
Crystal Palace to showcase exhibits from around world,
wanted to convert natives (end sati) – sent Livingstone to
Africa
• Cecil Rhodes (England) – Cape to Cairo Railroad,
Debeers Diamond Mines, Boer War
India
Terms to Know:
British East India Co.
1700s
Sepoy Mutiny 1857
Gandhi – Amritsar
“Home Rule” (1948)
Pakistan/India
(Kashmir)
Mercantalism
Benefits –
educations, industry,
railroad
Regents Multiple Choice
A primary purpose for building the Suez Canal was to
1.
2.
3.
4.
encourage Jewish settlement in nearby Palestine
increase trade between the Middle East, Europe and Asia
reduce the time needed for travel between the Atlantic
Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
allow Indian merchants to reach the east coast of Africa
Both the French and the British were interested in controlling
Egypt in the mid-19th century because Egypt had
1.
2.
3.
4.
control of the spice trade
an industrial-based economy
vital mineral resources
a strategic location
• Which of these developments in Africa was a
cause of the other three?
(1) Rival tribal groups fought wars.
(2) The Berlin Conference of 1884 influenced
colonial boundaries.
(3) Traditional territories and culture groups
were permanently fragmented.
(4) African economies became dependent on the
sale of cash crops and raw materials.
China
Terms to Know:
Opium War
Treaty of
Nanjing (1842)
Hong Kong
Open Door
Policy
Taiping
Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
1900
• A primary reason the Mongols and the British
were able to expand their empires through
conquest was because of
(1) a knowledge and command of advanced
technologies
(2) a rejection of democratic policies and practices
(3) the development of religious and cultural
reforms
(4) an extended period of peaceful trade and
commerce
SE Asia
Dutch East Indies
(1800s)
Philippines to
America (1898
Spanish American
War)
French IndoChina (Vietnam)
• What was a principal reason for the success of
European colonialism in Asia in the late 1800s?
(1) Asians respected Europeans as representatives
of an advanced civilization.
(2) Europe was able to dominate military and
commercial relations with Asia.
(3) Europeans respected Asian laws and customs.
(4) Many Asians adopted European religious
practices.
Japan
Tokugawa Shogunate
Com. Matthew Perry
(1853)
Treaty of Kanagawa
Meiji Restoration
Sino-Japanese
(1894)/Russo-Japanese
War (1905)
Greater East Asia Co
Prosperity Sphere (WW2)
Practice
• The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in Japan in 1853
signaled the end of Japanese
1.
2.
3.
4.
cultural contacts with the West
policies of isolationism
militarism in Southeast Asia
trade relations with the United States
• In Japan, the Meiji Restoration resulted in the
1.
2.
3.
4.
division of the nation between the European powers
modernization of the nation’s industry
abolition of the position of emperor
government being controlled by the samurai
• During the late 19th century, Japan’s lack
of natural resources was one reason for
implementing a policy of
(1) collectivization (3) socialism
(2) free trade (4) imperialism
Impact of Colonial Rule
(think +/- and point of view)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Breakdown of traditional culture
International competition – WWI/II
Movement of people – urbanization
Conversions to Christianity sparked religious
conflicts
Built roads, railroads, harbors
Increased literacy, developed alphabets for
African languages
Better medical care, sanitation, and
improved farming.
Tribal conflict – Rwanda, Sudan, etc.
Apartheid –
institutionalized
separation of
Blacks from
Political, Economic
and Social Power.
•People of color (blacks
and Indians) are required
to carry pass cards.
•Gandhi working as a
lawyer in South Africa will
burn his pass cards
Resistance to Foreign Control
• India – Sepoy Mutiny; Gandhi’s NonViolent, Non-Cooperation
• China – Boxer Rebellion
Sepoy Mutiny - 1857
• Rumor Started: The rifle
cartridges that were
distributed to the
Sepoys (bitten to
remove a cover before
being inserted into a
gun) had been greased
with beef and pork fat.
• Muslim Sepoys who
were not supposed to
consume pork, and the
Hindu Sepoys who
were not supposed to
eat beef.
• The Sepoy Rebellion is considered an
important event in Indian history because it
was one cause of the
(1) independence movement in India
(2) secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan
(3) establishment of French colonies in India
(4) creation of the Mughal Empire by
Muslims
• A goal of both the Boxer Rebellion in
China and the Mau Mau movement in
Kenya was to
(1) promote laissez-faire capitalism
(2) end foreign control
(3) develop modern industries
(4) create a totalitarian state
Collapse of Imperialism
• Nationalistic Mvmts – during and after
WWII.
• Terms to Know – Gandhi (India), Jomo
Kenyatta (Kenya), Kwame Nkrumah
(Ghana), OAU (Org. of African Unity –
Pan Africanism) Nelson Mandela, FW
de Klerk and ANC (S. Africa), Ho Chi
Minh (Vietnam)
• World War II was a turning point for many
European colonies in Africa and Asia because the
war led to
(1) the occupation of most European colonies by
United Nations troops
(2) increased efforts by these colonies to gain
independence
(3) the expansion of European imperialism
(4) decreased friction between the Europeans and
their colonies