Chapter 14
The Height of Imperialism
(1800 – 1914)
Section 1: Colonial Rule in
Southeast Asia
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Western expansion into Asia and Africa
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Source of industrial raw materials
Market for Western manufactured goods
Source of national prestige
Moral responsibility to civilize the primitive people
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convert them to Christianity and introduce them to
the benefits of Western democracy and capitalism
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Great Britain
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Founded a new colony on the Malay Peninsula called
Singapore
Took control of Burma (known as Myanmar today)
France
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Sent missionaries to Vietnam
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Internal rivalries divided the country into two separate
governments
Territory became a French protectorate
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Thailand
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Only remaining free state in Southeast Asia
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Two remarkable rulers resisted Western
expansion into their territory by maintaining
friendly relations with the major powers
 King Mongkut
 King Chulalongkorn
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Would become a buffer state between the
possessions of Britain and France in Southeast
Asia
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Indirect and Direct Rule
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Indirect rule
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allowed local rulers to maintain their positions of
authority while they carried out the laws of
imperial country
Lowered the cost of government
Had a less effect on the local culture
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Direct rule
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Local elites were removed from power and
replaced with a new set of officials from the
mother country
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Colonial economies
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Because colonial powers didn’t want the
colonists to develop their own industries
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Colonial policy dictated the export of raw materials
It also led to the formation of plantation agriculture
owned by foreign investors
Positive note: they built railroads, highways, etc.
that benefitted the local people
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Resistance to Colonial Rule
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Many were unhappy with Western rule
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Original resistance came from the ruling class
Resistance would eventually lead to peasant
revolts
A new urban middle class that was educated in
Western style schools would eventually lead
massive resistance movements in their countries
 This would not happen until the 1930’s
**end of notes**
Section 2: Empire Building in Africa

By 1900, virtually all of Africa was under
European rule.
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As the slave trade declined in West Africa, Great
Britain and France would establish territories in
the interest of peanuts, timber, hides, and palm
oil.
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By 1890’s, slavery had been abolished in all major
countries of the world.
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North Africa
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Muhammad Ali seized power from the Ottoman
Turks and established Egypt as a separate state.
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He modernized the army, set up a public school
system, and created small industries.
British became interested in building a canal to
connect the Med. Sea to the Red Sea.
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Suez Canal was completed in 1869.
Egypt would become a British protectorate in
1914.
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Central Africa
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David Livingstone explored parts of Central
Africa for 30 years.
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When he disappeared, Henry Stanley (a
journalist) went in search of him.
He continued Livingstone’s work when he died in
1873.
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South Africa
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Afrikaners (a.k.a. the Boers), were forced
northward when the British seized Cape Town
and the surrounding areas in South Africa.
As a result, many natives were put on
reservations as the Boers moved northward.
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Boers were in constant battle with the Zulu.
Eventually the British would defeat the Zulu.
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Rise of Nationalism
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A new class of leaders emerged as a result of their
education in the West.
Many of them came to resent foreigners because it meant
a loss of their farmlands as well as loss of jobs on
plantations and factories.
Westerners segregated schools, churches, clubs, etc.
They would eventually organize political parties and
movements to seek an end to foreign rule.
**end of notes**
Section 3: British Rule in India
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British East India Company
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Interfered in India’s political and military affairs
Employed Indian soldiers known as sepoys
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They would later revolt because:
 of distrust of the British
 A rumor that the British were using bullets greased with
pig and cow fat
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Revolt was crushed within a year
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Because of the revolt, the British tightened
their control in India.
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Positive effects:
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Brought order and stability to the region
School system created
Railroads, telegraph, and postal system created
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Negative effects:
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British manufactured goods destroyed the local
industries
Increased taxes
Loss of farmland
Shortage of food supply because of new farm
product – cotton
Disrespect for Indian culture
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Indian Nationalist Movement
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In 1885, a group met in Mumbai and created the
Indian National Congress
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Goal was to seek India’s independence from
British control
In 1915, an individual by the name of Mohandas
Gandhi would set up a movement of non-violent
resistance.
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His actions would eventually lead to India’s
independence.
**end of notes**
Section 4: Nation Building in
Latin America

The successful revolution in North America
led to the beginning of revolts in Latin
America.
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Creoles supported legal equality of all people as
well as free trade and free press.
They soon denounced the rule of the Spanish
and the Portuguese.
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Revolt in Mexico
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Miguel Hidalgo roused the local natives and
mestizos to free themselves from Spain.

Sept. 16, 1810, a mob attacked the Spaniards.
 Their revolt would be crushed and Hidalgo sentenced to
death.
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Under Agustin de Iturbide, the Mexicans would
declare their independence in 1821.
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Revolts in South America
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Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar led
revolutions throughout South America.
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The Central American states would be free by
1823. (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa
Rica, and Nicaragua)
By the end of 1824, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay,
Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and
Chile would be freed from Spain.
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Problems with Nation Building
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Rule of Caudillos
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New imperialism
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Ruled by military force
British investors poured money into industries
Inequality
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The elite maintained most of the power
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The United States in Latin America
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Cuba became a protectorate
Costa Rica was annexed
Supported Panama in a rebellion to separate
from Colombia and become its own nation
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In return, the U.S. was given control of 10 miles of
land running from coast to coast – they built the
Panama Canal which opened in 1914
**end of notes**