Chapter 26
“The West and the World”
1850-1910
AP EUROPEAN HISTORY
MR. RICK PURRINGTON
MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
Africa Today
British Imperialism
1775
I.
Industrialization and the World Economy
A. The Rise of Global Inequality
1. Industrialized nations wealth
2. a lopsided world emerged b/t haves and
have-nots
3. 1750 – Br GDP = to rest of world
4. 1970 – Br GDP 25x more than rest of
world
B. Reasons for Br’s Wealth
1. science, tech, capitalism, efficient use
of resources, industrialization?
or
2. Br’s colonial power used to steal
world’s resources?
C. World Trade Grows
1. 1770 -- “the sun never sets on the British
Empire”
1775
2.1820 – Br exported 50% of all cotton textiles
to its colonies
3. 1913 – world trade value 25x 1800 value
4. The Conquest over Distance
II.
- railroads built all over world
- steam engines power ships
- steel replaces wood
- transportation costs decreased
- the cost of exporting decreased
- Eu profits increased
The Great Migration
A. Eu pop doubled b/t 1800-1900
1. improved standard of living
B. “The Great Migration” – Europeans moving to
colonies across the world
1. usually energetic, small farmers looking
for opportunity
III.
The Scramble for Africa and Asia 1880-1914
A. New Imperialism – Eu countries ruling max
people + max territory in Af + Asia
B. “gold rush” mentality – the race for territory
1. 1880 – Eu ruled 10% of Af
2. 1900 – Eu ruled almost 100% of Af
“Steam and electricity have annihilated distance, and all the non-appropriated lands
on the surface of the globe can become the field of our operations and of our
success.”
~ King Leopold II of Belgium, 1861
C. 1884 – Berlin Conference
1. Otto von Bismarck of G, Jules Ferry of Fr
2. no single Eu power could control Af
3. stop slavery and slave trade
4. imperial ambitions did not lead to Eu war
Otto von Bismarck
D.
Imperialism in Asia
1. The Neth – Indonesia
2. Fr – Indochina
3. U.S. – Phillippines
IV.
Charles
Darwin
Causes of Imperialism
“The Maxim gun will be
of valuable service in
A. Money, Jobs, Resources
helping civilization
B. Security
overcome barbarism.”
C. Power and Prestige
Henry M. Stanley
1. “There has never been a great power w/o
colonies.” ~ Fr Journalist 1877
D. Social Darwinism
1. “The strongest nation has always been
conquering the weaker…the strongest tend
to be the best.” ~ Br Economist 1900
E. “Philanthropy” – The White Man’s Burden
1. the West’s “duty” to civilize the uncivilized
F. Technological Gap
1. machine gun
2. disease awareness
3. steamship
4. telegraph
G. Religious Missions – spread Christianity
H. Humanitarian – to stop the slave trade
V. Critics of Imperialism
A. Imperialism by J.A. Hobson
1. Imperialism is caused by unregulated capitalism
2. Only the distrustful economically benefit from
colonies
3. “O Evolution, what crimes are committed in thy
name.”
4. “The Brown Man’s loss must never imply the
White Man’s gain.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
B. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
1. “The pure selfishness of civilizing”
2. Contradiction in liberalism - rep gov’t at home,
dictatorship in the colonies
3. Don’t the natives have the right to selfdetermination?
“Despotism is a legitimate
mode of government in
dealing with barbarians,
provided the end be their
improvement.”
John Stuart Mill in his book
On Liberty