• What is Imperialism?
• What is a sphere of influence?
• What is the “White Man’s Burden”?

• How is New Imperialism different from Old imperialism?
• What modern day country was once called
Siam?
• What is the Suez Canal?

• Where are Laos, Cambodia, and Siam located?
• What South East Asian country did the US control?
• What is the Panama Canal?

• The Industrial Revolution had led to the massive increase of production and consumption.
• This caused European nations
(America Later) to find new markets to sell their goods, and new areas to obtain raw materials from
• Imperialism is the practice where a state takes political and economic control of an area beyond its boarders
• Though some areas will avoid imperialism (Japan, Thailand, Iran, &
Afghanistan) large parts of the world were affected

• In Old Imperialism
Europeans would take control of a land, sail into a port, pick up goods (spices, products, slaves), paid in silver, and sailed away.
• Under New Imperialism
Europeans still took control of these areas, but now they took more control of the politics and economics of these foreign lands.

• Politically Europeans engaged in
Imperialism as a way to control key areas (and deprive their competition of it)
• Socio-Economically European nations needed imperialism.
• Mid-late 1800s Europe experienced unemployment, poverty, and strikes
• The ability to conquer and control foreign territory was a source of national pride, and one that helped people forget problems at home

• Europeans also viewed themselves as superior to many parts of the world
• It became a culturally accepted belief that it was their duty to help “civilize” the less developed people of the world
• British Poet Rudyard Kipling famously called this the, “White
Man’s Burden.”
• Though this point of view was extremely racist, it helped to justify European actions

• South Asia
– India
• The British East India Company controlled Indian for a period of time
• The “Great Rebellion” broke out in
India because the British had ignored very specific Hindu &
Muslim religious beliefs regarding animal fat
• The British would regain control, but would take more direct control over the area. Parliament would almost directly control the Raj (Ruler)
• Later the high ranking officials in
India would be groomed by
Europeans. They would sit in high positions, but never actually created laws or policies.

• Central & Southwest Asia
– Iran
– Russia had systematically been expanding southwards since the 1500s
– Britain saw this as a threat and the two empires clashed
– The British and Russians would have independence spheres of influence in
Persia
– Afghanistan acted as a buffer (Meaning neither could take it over)

• East Asia
– China suffered greatly from
European Imperialism
– Though the Chinese were a developed nation, they could not match the technology of Europeans
– Germany, France, Russia, Britain and Japan would all claim areas of
China as their own
– The Japanese also displayed their changed island by defeating the
Chinese and Russians in separate wars

• South East Asia
– Britain had expanded over from Indian into SE Asia claiming Burma, parts of
Mainland Malaysia, and
Singapore
– The French claimed
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and parts of Indonesia because of a history of religious missions in those areas
– The Spanish would gain control of the Philippines, but later lose it to the United
States
• Siam (Thailand was free)

• Africa will become the next main area that Europeans colonized.
• Originally Europeans had colonies close to the coast so they could pick up shipments of gold and slaves
• Eventually they will claim much of the continent with little regard for natural borders.

• The British who settled in South
Africa became known as Boers or
Afrikaners
• They constantly moved inland in search of better land, and for that reason came into conflict with
African Natives (whom the Boers enslaved)
• Once the British outlawed slavery the Boers formed three republics where slavery was legal. The
British would annex one, but legally recognize the other two

• The British and Boers would come into conflict on numerous occasions, and eventually fight two wars in 1881 and 1899 known as the Boer Wars
• South Africa also experienced an economic boom from the diamond and gold deposits found in the area
• 1880, due to increase economic activity on the continent, and more land being claimed, the
Scramble for Africa would begin

• Egypt was an important region during the
Scramble for Africa.
• Both the British and the French had invested in Egypt, and were concerned with the nations well being
• A major reason for the concern was the Suez
Canal, which was built with the help of the
French, and extensively used by the British

• Britain would invade Egypt to help
“stabilize” it
• French would expand their territorial possessions from Algeria
• Germans would claim portions of both African Coast
• Dutch would claim the Congo
Valley River Basin
– The European powers would hold a conference to discuss the well being of Africa
– Really numerous back room deals were made where boarders were drawn up
– The Africans had no representation at this meeting.

• There was resistance across
Africa to much of the
Imperialist attempts by
European powers
• The King of Ethiopia had modernized his country, including his rather large military
• Italy attempted to conquer
Ethiopia, but suffered huge casualties for their effort
• Ethiopia would be recognized as a sovereign and independent nation

• Numerous nations in Latin
America had won their independence in the 1800s
• The British, and other European powers, still saw opportunities in
Latin America
• They wanted nations they were trading partners with to become more economically important, so
European nations would influence or hinder Latin
American nations to their benefit.

• In 1832, James Monroe closed
the American Continents to
“Future colonization by any
European powers.”
• This is known as the Monroe
Doctrine.
• In 1904 Theodor Roosevelt would Introduce the
Roosevelt Corollary
• He said it was the US’ job to protect the weak countries of the Western Hemisphere and to act as “international police power.”

• By declaring the Roosevelt
Corollary President Roosevelt did two things
– Stated Europe had no reason to interfere in Latin America
– The US was now strong enough to fight off European Powers if they needed to
• Roosevelt’s threat did not stop the British or French from establishing and officially claiming lands in South
America, but it did slow them down.
• The US would become involved in the Spanish American War

• The US would get involved in the
Spanish American war to aid Cuba
• The War lasted only 4 months and the US easily won
• The official peace stated:
– Cuba gets their independence, but permanently leases a military base at
Guantanamo Bay to the USA
 The Platt Amendment & Teller
Amendment will stop the US from annexing Cuba
1. The US gets Puerto Rico and Guam
2. The US gains the Philippines in exchange for $20 Million.
• So Europeans shouldn’t mess with
Latin America… but the US could

• Roosevelt was annoyed that during the Spanish American
War ships had to sail around
South American to get to the
Philippines
• Roosevelt tried to buy the land but was turned down, so instead encouraged the
Panamanian people to rebel against Columbia.
• The 2 biggest obstacles to overcome were disease & geography
• It took 10 years and 40,000 workers but the canal was completed

Good
• Europe came to view foreign nations as people with skills -> Slavery was bad (by 1888 outlawed in
ALL Western Countries)
• Western medicine helped cure diseases
• Infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc) greatly improved in countries to aid trade
Bad
• Lots of people (natives) died trying to resist stronger
European armies
• Destruction of native cultures, traditions, religions
• Nations lost their identity starting decades long independence movements