The Age of Imperialism, Philippines? 3. ... 684 Chapter 27 Railroads will bring the products grown or mined to ... • imperialism The Age of Imperialism

The Age of Imperialism,1850–1914

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, colonial powers seized

vast areas of Africa and Asia. Few territories managed to escape

foreign control. As the map at the right shows, the colonizers

were particularly active in carving up Africa. Use the map to

answer the following questions.

1. How many colonial powers colonized Africa? Which Europeanpower did not?

2. Which country controlled India? the Philippines?

3. How would you describe the arrangement of African colonies?

4. Why do you think Africa was so heavily colonized?

Connect History and Geography

1850 Europeantrading with Africawell-established.

For more information about imperialism . . .

CLASSZONE.COM

This sculptured brass weight wasused by the Asante people of Africa.The elaborate nature of the weightmay indicate that trade wasespecially important to the Asante.The British traded with the Asante onthe west coast of Africa, also knownas the Gold Coast.

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1858Britain establishesdirect rule over India.

1869 SuezCanal is openedfor navigation.

Ethiopian ruler Menelik II defeated theItalians at the Battle of Adowa in 1896.

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Colonial Claims, 1900

1884–1885Berlin Conference sets rulesfor African colonization.

1898United States acquiresPhilippines, annexes Hawaii.

1899Boer War beginsin South Africa.

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Interact with History

T he 19th-century Europeans have access to steamengines and medical advances. They have the technical

know-how to develop the resources of the land they control.They want to develop these resources to make themselvesgreat profits. Many believe they also have the right and theresponsibility to develop the lands and cultures in lessadvanced areas of the world.

You wonder about the Europeans’ thinking. What rightsand responsibilities do they really have? How much shouldthey try to change other peoples and other cultures?

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Railroads will bring theproducts grown or mined tomarket and carry people todifferent parts of theconquered country.

What impactmight theseEuropeanshave on theland and peoplethey conquer?

Wireless radio will allowcommunication to wideareas of the country.

Local rule might beeliminated or replaced withrule by European monarchsand their representatives.

Mining gold anddiamonds willdestroy the land thathas been takenaway from the localinhabitants.

EXAMINING the ISSUES

• Does a technologically advanced nationhave a responsibility to share itsadvances with less developed areas?

• Is it acceptable to impose your culture onanother culture group?

• Who should benefit from the resourcesof a place?

• Is there such a thing as having too muchpower over others?

Discuss these questions with your classmates.In your discussion, remember what you havealready learned about conquests and culturalchanges.

As you read about imperialists in this chapter,look for their effects on both the colonizers andthe colonized.

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SETTING THE STAGE Industrialization stirred ambitions in many European nations.They wanted more resources to fuel their industrial production. They competed fornew markets for their goods. They looked to Africa and Asia as sources of the rawmaterials and as markets for cloth, plows, guns, and other industrial products.

Africa Before ImperialismIn the mid-1800s, on the eve of the European domination of Africa, Africanpeoples were divided into hundreds of ethnic and linguistic groups. Most continued to follow traditional beliefs, while others converted to Islam orChristianity. These groups spoke more than 1,000 different languages.Politically, they ranged from large empires that united many ethnic groups toindependent villages. The largest empire in West Africa at its peak had a popu-lation of about 10 million people.

Although Europeans had established contacts with Africans as early as the1450s, they actually controlled very little land. Powerful African armies were ableto keep the Europeans out of most of Africa for 400 years. As late as 1880,Europeans controlled only 10 percent of the continent’s land, mainly on the coast.

Furthermore, European travel into the interior on a large-scale basis was virtu-ally impossible. Europeans could not navigate African rivers that had so many rapidsand cataracts and drastically changing flows. Until the introduction of steam-poweredriverboats, Europeans would not be able to conduct major expeditions into the inte-rior of Africa.

Finally, large networks of Africans conducted trade. These trade networks keptEuropeans from controlling the sources of trade items such as gold and ivory. Thesetrade networks were specialized. The Chokwe, for example, devoted themselves tocollecting ivory and beeswax in the Angola highlands. Others such as the Yao carriedtheir goods to merchants on the coast.

Nations Compete for Overseas EmpiresThose Europeans who did penetrate the interior of Africa tended to be explorers, mis-sionaries, or humanitarians who opposed the slave trade. Europeans and Americanslearned about Africa through travel books and newspapers. These publications com-peted for readers by hiring reporters to search the globe for stories of adventure, mystery, or excitement.

The Congo Sparks Interest In the late 1860s, David Livingstone, a minister fromScotland, traveled with a group of Africans deep into central Africa. They were search-ing for the source of the Nile. When several years passed with no word from him or hisparty, many people feared he was dead. An American newspaper hired reporter HenryStanley to find Livingstone. In 1871, he found Dr. Livingstone on the shores of LakeTanganyika. Stanley’s account of the meeting made headlines around the world.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYA. AnalyzingCauses Why did theEuropeans controlsuch a small portionof Africa in the1800s?A. Answer Africanarmies and traderskept them out and therivers were impass-able, making it diffi-cult to get inland.

This highly valuedivory mask is one offour taken from theKing of Benin in1897. It was wornwith several otherson the belt of aceremonialcostume of theking.

Imperialists DivideAfrica

1TERMS & NAMES

• imperialism• racism• Social Darwinism• Berlin Conference

1884–85• Shaka• Boer• Great Trek• Boer War

MAIN IDEA

Ignoring the claims of African ethnicgroups, kingdoms, and city-states,Europeans established colonial claims.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

African nations continue to feel theeffects of the colonial presence of 100years ago.

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In 1879, Stanley returned toAfrica, and in 1882 he signedtreaties with local chiefs of theCongo River valley. The treatiesgave King Leopold II of Belgiumpersonal control of these lands.

Leopold claimed that his pri-mary motive in establishing thecolony was to abolish the slavetrade. However, he licensed com-panies that brutally exploitedAfricans, by forcing them to col-lect sap from rubber plants. Thetime required to do this inter-fered with the care of their ownfood crops. So severe were the

forced labor, excessive taxation, and abuses of the native Congolese that humanitariansfrom around the world demanded changes. In 1908, the Belgian government took overthe colony. The Belgian Congo, as the colony later became known, was 80 times largerthan Belgium. Leopold’s seizure of the Congo alarmed France. Earlier, in 1882, theFrench had approved a treaty that gave France the north bank of the Congo River.Soon Britain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were also claiming parts of Africa.

Motives Driving Imperialism Economic, political, and social forces accelerated thedrive to take over land in all parts of the globe. The takeover of a country or territory by astronger nation with the intent of dominating the political, economic, and social life ofthe people of that nation is called imperialism. The Industrial Revolution providedEuropean countries with a need to add lands to their control. As European nations indus-trialized, they searched for new markets and raw materials to improve their economies.

The race for colonies grew out of a strong sense of national pride as well as fromeconomic competition. Europeans viewed an empire as a measure of national great-ness. “All great nations in the fullness of their strength have desired to set their markupon barbarian lands,” wrote the German historian Heinrich von Treitschke, “andthose who fail to participate in this great rivalry will play a pitiable role in time tocome.” As the competition for colonies intensified, each country was determined toplant its flag on as much of the world as possible.

Because of their advanced technology, many Europeans basically believed that theywere better than other peoples. This belief was racism, the idea that one race issuperior to others. The attitude was a reflection of a social theory of the time, calledSocial Darwinism. In this theory, Charles Darwin’s ideas about evolution and “sur-vival of the fittest” were applied to social change. Those who were fittest for survivalenjoyed wealth and success and were considered superior to others. According to thetheory, non-Europeans were considered to be on a lower scale of cultural and physicaldevelopment because they did not have the technology that Europeans had. Euro-peans believed that they had the right and the duty to bring the results of theirprogress to other countries. Cecil Rhodes, a successful businessman and one of themajor supporters of British expansion, clearly stated this position:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TI contend that we [Britons] are the first race in the world, and the more of the world weinhabit, the better it is for the human race. . . . It is our duty to seize every opportunityof acquiring more territory and we should keep this one idea steadily before our eyesthat more territory simply means more of the Anglo-Saxon race, more of the best, themost human, most honourable race the world possesses.CECIL RHODES, Confession of Faith 1877

B. Possible AnswerBritish superiority toall other groups.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYB. MakingInferences Whatattitude about theBritish does Rhodes’sstatement display?

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“Dr. Livingstone, Ipresume?” was thegreeting of Ameri-can reporter HenryStanley in theirfamous meeting in1871 at LakeTanganyika. Thispicture is from adrawing based onDr. Livingstone’sown material.

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The push for expansion also came from missionaries who worked to Christianizethe peoples of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Many missionaries believed thatEuropean rule was the best way to end evil practices such as the slave trade. Theyalso wanted to “civilize,” that is, to “westernize,” the peoples of the foreign land.

Forces Enabling Imperialism External and internal forces contributed to theEuropeans’ conquest of Africa. The overwhelming advantage was the Europeans’technological superiority. The Maxim gun, invented in 1889, was the world’s first auto-matic machine gun. European countries quickly acquired the Maxim, while the resist-ing Africans were forced to rely onoutdated weapons.

European countries also had themeans to control their empire. Theinvention of the steam engineallowed Europeans to easily travelupstream to establish bases of con-trol deep in the African continent.Railroads, cables, and steamersallowed close communicationswithin a colony and between thecolony and its controlling nation.All these made control easier.

Even with superior arms andsteam engines to transport them,Europeans might still have stayedconfined to the coast. Europeanswere highly susceptible tomalaria. One discovery changedthat—the drug quinine. Regulardoses of quinine protectedEuropeans from attacks of thisdisease caused by mosquitoes.

Internal factors also made theEuropean sweep through Africaeasier. Africans’ huge variety oflanguages and cultures discour-aged unity among them. Warsfought between ethnic groupsover land, water, and trade rightsalso prevented a unified stand. Europeans soon learned to play rival groupsagainst each other. Finally, Africans fought at a tremendous disadvantage becausethey did not have the weapons and technology the Europeans had.

African Lands Become European ColoniesThe scramble for African territory began in earnest about 1880. At that time, theFrench began to expand from the West African coast toward western Sudan. The dis-coveries of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1886 in South Africa increased Europeaninterest in colonizing the land. No European power wanted to be left out of the race.

Berlin Conference Divides Africa The competition was so fierce that Europeancountries feared war among themselves. To prevent fighting, 14 European nations metat the Berlin Conference in 1884–85 to lay down rules for the division of Africa.They agreed that any European country could claim land in Africa by notifying othernations of their claims and showing they could control the area. The European nations

THINK THROUGH HISTORYC. Analyzing IssuesWhich external factorwas most likely tohave caused thedownfall of Africancultures?C. Answer Answerswill vary. Probably thestrongest was theMaxim gun.

Europeans Enter Africa

• Nationalism

• Economic competition

• European racism

• Missionary impulse

SKILLBU ILDER :Interpreting Charts1. Which two of the

internal forces wereconnected with eachother? Explain.

2. Which of the Europeanmotives do you believewas the mostpowerful? Explain.

• Maxim gun

• Railroads and steamships

• Cure for malaria

• Variety of culturesand languages

• Low level oftechnology

• Ethnic strife

Internal Forces

European Motives External Forces

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Imperialism in Africa, 1913

Political Divisions in Africa, 1913

Independent states (3.4%)

Italian (5.2%)

Portuguese(6.8%)

Belgian(7.9%)

German(7.9%)

British(32.3%)

French(35.6%)

Spanish (.06%)

BelgianBritainFrenchGermanItalian

PortugueseSpanishIndependent statesBoerOttoman

divided the rest of the continent with little thought to how African ethnic or linguisticgroups were distributed. No African ruler attended these meetings, yet the confer-ence sealed Africa’s fate. By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia remained free fromEuropean control.

Demand for Product Shapes Colonies When European countries began coloniz-ing, many believed that Africans would soon be buying European goods in greatquantities. They were wrong; European goods were not bought. However, Europeanbusinesses still needed raw materials from Africa. Businesses eventually developedcash-crop plantations to grow peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber. These productsdisplaced the food crops grown by farmers to feed their families.

The major source of great wealth in Africa proved to be the continent’s rich min-eral resources. The Belgian Congo contained untold wealth in copper and tin. Eventhese riches seemed small compared to the gold and diamonds in South Africa.

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GEOGRAPHY SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Maps and Charts1. Region About what percentage of Africa was colonized by Europeans in 1878? How much by 1913?2. Region According to the map of 1913, which two imperial powers held the most land? According to the

chart, what percentage of land in Africa was held by the two powers?

THINK THROUGH HISTORYD. RecognizingEffects What sort ofproblems might resultfrom combining or split-ting groups of people?D. Answer Somemight fight each otherand some might fight toget back with those theywere separated from.

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2. TAKING NOTES

Copy the spider map below and fillin the four motives that caused thegrowth of imperialism during thelate 1800s.

How did Europeans use SocialDarwinism to justify empire-building?

3. MAKING INFERENCES

What can you infer about theEuropeans’ attitude towardAfricans from the BerlinConference?

THINK ABOUT• who attended the conference• the outcome of the conference

4. THEME ACTIVITY

Empire Building Create a timeline that includes events thatoccurred in South Africa between1800 and 1914. What motivescaused most of these events?

1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify• imperialism• racism• Social Darwinism• Berlin Conference

1884–85• Shaka• Boer• Great Trek• Boer War

Section Assessment1


Three Groups Clash over South AfricaThe history of South Africa is a history of Africans, Dutch, and British clashing overland and resources. Although the African lands seemed empty to the Europeans,there were huge areas claimed by various ethnic groups. The local control of theselands, especially in the east, had been in dispute for about 100 years.

Zulu Expansion From the late 1700s to the late 1800s, a series of local wars shooksouthern Africa. Around 1816, a Zulu chief, Shaka, used highly disciplined warriorsand good military organization to create a large centralized state. Shaka’s successors,however, were unable to keep the kingdom intact against the superior arms of theBritish invaders. The Zulu land became a part of British-controlled land in 1887.

Boers and British Settle in the Cape The Dutch first came to the Cape of GoodHope in 1652 to establish a way station for their ships sailing between the Dutch EastIndies and home. Dutch settlers known as Boers (Dutch for “farmers”) graduallytook over native Africans’ land and established large farms. When the British tookover the Cape Colony in the 1800s, the two groups of settlers clashed over British pol-icy regarding land and slaves.

In the 1830s, to escape the British, several thousand Boers beganto move north. This movement has become known as the GreatTrek. The Boers soon found themselves fighting fiercely with Zuluand other African groups whose land they were taking.

The Boer War Diamonds and gold were discovered in southernAfrica in the 1860s and 1880s. Suddenly. “outsiders” from all parts ofthe world rushed in to make their fortunes. The Boers tried to keepthe outsiders from gaining political rights. An attempt to start arebellion against the Boers failed. The Boers blamed the British. In1899, the Boers took up arms against the British.

In many ways the Boer War between the British and the Boerswas the first modern “total” war. The Boers launched commandoraids and used guerrilla tactics against the British. The British coun-tered by burning Boer farms and imprisoning women and childrenin disease-ridden concentration camps. Britain won the war. In 1902,the Boer republics were joined into a self-governing Union of SouthAfrica, controlled by the British.

The establishing of colonies signaled a change in the way of life ofthe Africans. The Europeans made efforts to change the political,social, and economic lives of the peoples they conquered. You willlearn about these changes in Section 2.

D. Answer It wasbetween two Euro-pean nations notbetween Europeansand Africans.THINK THROUGH HISTORYE. Contrasting Howwas the struggle forland in the Boer Wardifferent from othertakeovers in Africa?

Americans in the Boer War

Americans as well as nationalsfrom other countries volunteered tofight in the Boer War (1899–1902).Although they joined both sides,most fought for the Boers. Theybelieved the Boers were fighting forfreedom against British tyrants.

One group of 46 Irish Americansfrom Chicago and Massachusettscaused an international scandalwhen they deserted their Red Crossunit and took up arms for the Boers.

Some Irish who fought for theBoers became leaders in the Irishrebellion when they returned home.John MacBride, a leader of a Boerunit that included many IrishAmericans, later took part in the1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. Hewas executed by the British.

GlobalImpact

Imperialism

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SETTING THE STAGE The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 was a Europeans’ confer-ence, and the Boer War was a Europeans’ war. Europeans argued and fought amongthemselves over the lands of Africa. In carving up Africa, the European countries paidlittle or no attention to historical political divisions such as kingdoms or caliphates, orto ethnic and language groupings. Uppermost in the minds of the Europeans was theability to control the land, its people, and their resources.

Colonial Control Takes Many FormsThe imperialism of the 18th and 19th centuries was conducted differently than theempire-building of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the earlier period, imperial powersoften did not penetrate far into the conquered areas in Asia and Africa. Nor did theyalways have a substantial influence on the lives of the people. During this new period ofimperialism, the Europeans demanded more influence over the economic, political, andsocial lives of the people. They were determined to shape the economies of the lands tobenefit European economies. They also wanted the people to adopt European customs.

Forms of Colonial Control Each European nation had certain policies and goalsfor establishing colonies. To establish control of an area, Europeans used differenttechniques. Over time, four forms of colonial control emerged: colony, protectorate,sphere of influence, and economic imperialism. In practice, gaining control of an areamight involve the use of several of these forms.

ImperialismCASE STUDY: Nigeria

2 TERMS & NAMES• paternalism• assimilation• Menelik II

MAIN IDEA

Europeans embarked on a new phaseof empire-building that affected bothAfrica and the rest of the world.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Many former colonies have politicalproblems that are the result ofcolonial rule.

PATTERNS OF CHANGE: Imperialism

ExampleCharacteristicsForms of Imperialism

Colony

Protectorate A country or territory with its own internalgovernment but under the control of an outside power

Britain established a protectorate overthe Niger River delta.

Sphere of Influence An area in which an outside power claimsexclusive investment or trading privileges

Liberia was under the sphere of influenceof the United States.

Economic Imperialism Independent but less developed nationscontrolled by private business interests ratherthan by other governments

The Dole Fruit company controlledpineapple trade in Hawaii.

Somaliland in East Africa was a Frenchcolony.

A country or a region governed internally by aforeign power

SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Charts1. Which two forms are guided by interests in business or trade?2. What is the difference between a protectorate and a colony?

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Patterns of Imperialist ManagementIn addition to the external form of control preferred by the colonizing country,European rulers also needed to develop methods of day-to-day management of thecolony. Two basic methods of internal management emerged. Britain and othernations such as the United States in its Pacific Island colonies preferred indirect con-trol. France and most other European nations wielded a more direct control. Later,when colonies gained independence, the management method used had an influenceon the type of government chosen in the new nation.

Indirect Control Indirect control relied on existing political rulers. In some areas,the British asked a local ruler to accept British authority to rule. These local officialshandled much of the daily management of the colony. In addition, each colony had alegislative council that included colonial officials as well as local merchants and pro-fessionals nominated by the colonial governor.

The assumption was that the councils would train local leaders in the Britishmethod of government and that a time would come when the local population wouldgovern itself. This happened earlier in the British colonies of South Africa andCanada. In the 1890s, the United States began to colonize. It chose the indirectmethod of control for its colonies.

Direct Control The French and other European powers preferred a more direct control of their colonies. They viewed the Africans as children unable to handle thecomplex business of running a country. Based on this attitude, the Europeans devel-oped a policy called paternalism. Using that policy, Europeans governed people in afatherly way by providing for their needs but not giving them rights. To accomplishthis, the Europeans brought in their own bureaucrats and did not train local people inEuropean methods of governing.

The French also supported a policy of assimilation. That policy was based on theidea that in time, the local populations would become absorbed into French culture.To aid in the transition, all local schools, courts, and businesses were patterned afterFrench institutions. In practice, the French abandoned the ideal of assimilation for all buta few places and settled for a policy of “association.” They recognized African institutionsand culture but regarded them as inferior to French culture. Other European nationsused this style of rule but made changes to suit their European culture.

Management Methods

SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Charts1. In which management method are the people less empowered to rule themselves? Explain.2. In what ways are the two management methods different?

• Local government officials were used

• Limited self-rule

• Goal: to develop future leaders

• Government institutions are based onEuropean styles but may have local rules

Examples• British colonies such as Nigeria, India, Burma

• U.S. colonies on Pacific Islands

• Foreign officials brought in to rule

• No self-rule

• Goal: assimilation

• Government institutions are based only onEuropean styles

Examples• French colonies such as Somaliland, Vietnam

• German colonies such as Tanganyika

• Portuguese colonies such as Angola

Direct ControlIndirect Control

PATTERNS OF CHANGE 691

THINK THROUGH HISTORYA. Comparing Howwas the policy ofpaternalism likeSocial Darwinism?A. Possible AnswerBoth saw Europeansas better able to run acolony than the localpopulation.

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Adinkra ClothGyaman people of the Ivory Coastproduced this hand-printed andembroidered cloth. Stamp patternswere made from a gourd and dipped ina dye made of bark paste. The clothwas stamped with symbols. The nameof each symbol represented a proverb,an event, or a human, animal, or plant.The symbol shown (rams’ horns) is asign of strength and humility.

African WeavingWhen Europeans began colonizing Africa, they found a variety ofcultures, many with distinctive textiles. Just as the colonizers learned toidentify peoples from the textiles they wore, so historians also learnfrom these fabrics. For example, the materials used in the fabricsreveal clues about the environment of the weavers. The designs andpatterns often used traditional symbols or myths of the culture. Whenand how the fabrics were used also provide information about theculture’s celebrations and social roles. Many of these fabrics, such asthe ones below, continue to be produced in modern times.

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HISTORY THROUGH ART: Textiles

A modern-day Ivory Coast chief wearskente cloth. Kente is a general term forsilk cloth. Only royalty are allowed towear kente cloth.

Kente ClothThis cloth was produced by the Asantepeople of Ghana. The word kente isnot used by the Asante. It comes froma Fante (another society) word forbasket. The Asante called the clothasasia. Asasia production was amonopoly of the king of the Asante.

Kuba ClothMade by Kuba people of Congo, thiscloth was made of raffia, a palm-leaffiber. The cloth design was based ontraditional geometric styles. The clothwas worn at ceremonial events, wasused as currency, and may have beenoffered for part of a dowry.

Contrasting Each of these tex-tiles reflects a specific group.Identify characteristics thatmake the textiles different fromeach other.

SEE SKILLBUILDER HANDBOOK, PAGE R7

Comparing To show their roots,some African Americans wearclothing with a kente cloth pat-tern. What other ethnic groupshave specific clothing that con-nects them to their roots?

Connect to Today

Connect to History

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A British ColonyA close look at Britain’s rule of Nigeriaillustrates the forms of imperialismused by European powers to gain control of an area, and also shows man-agement methods used to continue thecontrol of the economic and politicallife of the area.

In 1807, Britain outlawed the slavetrade. The British freed some slaves onthe West African coast, who then helpedthe British in overtaking other groups.To get a group’s land, the British swayedthat group’s enemies to help fight them.The winning African groups might thenbow to British control.

Later, the Royal Niger Companygained control of the palm-oil tradealong the Niger River. In 1884–85, the Berlin Conference gave Britain aprotectorate in lands along the NigerRiver. In 1914, the British claimed theentire area of Nigeria as a colony. Butin this new age of imperialism, it wasnecessary to not only claim the terri-tory but also to govern the people living there.

Nigeria is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Africa. About 250 differentethnic groups lived there. The three largest groups were the Hausa-Fulani in thenorth, the Yoruba in the southwest, and the Igbo in the southeast. The groups in thearea claimed by Britain were different from each other in many ways including lan-guage, culture, and religion. The Hausa-Fulani people of the north were Muslim andwere accustomed to a strong central government. The Igbo and Yoruba peoples reliedon local chiefs or governing councils for control. The Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba weretraditional enemies.

Britain did not have enough troops to govern such a wide and complex area. So itturned to indirect rule of the land. The British relied on local administrations andchiefs to keep order, avoid rebellion, and collect taxes.

Ruling indirectly through local officials functioned well in northern Nigeria.There the traditional government was most like the British style of government. Theprocess did not work as well in eastern or southwestern Nigeria, where the chief-doms and councils had trouble with British indirect rule. One reason was that theBritish appointed chiefs where there had been no chiefs before. Then the Britishrestricted their powers. This left the chiefs with little real status and led to problemsgoverning the area.

African ResistanceAcross Africa, European attempts to colonize the lands were met with resistance. Thecontest between African states and European powers was never equal due to theEuropeans’ superior arms. Sometimes African societies tried to form alliances with

CASE STUDY: Nigeria

THINK THROUGH HISTORY B. SummarizingWhich forms of impe-rialistic control didBritain use in Nigeria?B. Answer Protec-torate, colony, andeconomic imperialism(Royal NigerCompany)

THINK THROUGH HISTORYC. AnalyzingMotives Why wasusing local govern-ments to control acolony a logical solu-tion for the British?C. PossibleAnswers Britain didnot have enoughtroops to directly con-trol the land. Also itmight have reducedhostility by the localgroups by having localgovernment.

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Maps 1. Region How many major culture regions are found within the

colony of Nigeria? What sort of problems might result fromcombining or splitting groups of people?

2. Movement Why might the British want to be able to controlthe Niger River?

1851, British annex Lagos

After 1884–85 BerlinConference, Britaindeclares a protect-orate over Niger Delta

The Royal NigerCompany controlsthe palm-oil trade


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Khartoum

FashodaDaboya

0° Equator

Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

40°N

40°E

0°



Mediterranean Sea

L.Chad

GOLDCOAST

BELGIANCONGO

SOUTHERNRHODESIA

CAMEROONS

ANGOLA

ZULULAND

ETHIOPIA

UG

AN

DA

MA

DA

GA

SC

AR

BRITISHSOMALILAND

ITALIANSOMALILAND

BRITISHEAST

AFRICA

GERMANEAST

AFRICA

GERMANSOUTHWEST

AFRICA

SOUTHAFRICA

FRENCH WEST AFRICA

LIBYAALGERIA

EGYPT

ANGLO-EGYPTIAN

SUDAN

TUNISIA

Nile R

. Red Sea

0 1,000 Miles

0 2,000 Kilometers

Area of resistance

Resistance Movements in Africa, 1881–1914

Menalamba1898–1904

Algerian Berbers and Arabs1830–1884

Mashona1896

Rabih1897–1900Mande

1884–1898

Ndebele, 1896

Asante1900

Arabi Pasha1881–1882

Maji Maji1905–1906

Menelik II1893–1896

Herero and Hottentot1904–1906

Mahdist State1881–1898

the Europeans. They hoped the agreement would allow them to remain independent.In some cases the Europeans did help defeat the rivals, but they then turned on theirAfrican allies. Other times Africans resisted the Europeans with whatever forces theycould raise. With the single exception of Ethiopia, all these attempts at resistance ulti-mately failed. Edward Morel, a British journalist who lived for a time in the Congo,made an observation about the Africans’ fate:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TNor is violent physical opposition to abuse and injustice henceforth possible for theAfrican in any part of Africa. His chances of effective resistance have been steadily dwin-dling with the increasing perfectibility in the killing power of modern armament.

Thus the African is really helpless against the material gods of the white man, asembodied in the trinity of imperialism, capitalistic exploitation, and militarism.EDWARD MOREL, The Black Man’s Burden

Unsuccessful Movements The unsuccessful resistance attempts included activeresistance and religious movements. Algeria’s almost 50-year resistance to Frenchrule was one outstanding example of active resistance. In West Africa, Samori Touréled resistance against the French for 16 years.

Africans in German East Africa put their faith in a spiritual defense. African vil-lagers resisted the Germans’ insistence that they plant cotton, a cash crop forexport, rather than attend to their own food crops. In 1905, the belief suddenlyarose that a magic water (maji-maji) sprinkled on their bodies would turn theGermans’ bullets into water. The uprising became known as the Maji Maji rebellion.When resistance fighters armed with spears and protected by the magic waterattacked a German machine-gun post, they were mowed down by the thousands.Officially, Germans recorded 26,000 resisters dead. But almost twice that numberperished in the famine that followed.

Ethiopia: A Successful ResistanceEthiopia was the only African nation tosuccessfully resist the Europeans. Itsvictory was due to one man—MenelikII. He became emperor of Ethiopia in1889. He successfully played Italians,French, and British against each other,all of whom were striving to bringEthiopia into their spheres of influ-ence. In the meantime he built up alarge arsenal of modern weapons pur-chased from France and Russia. Aboutto sign a treaty with Italy, Menelik dis-covered differences between the word-ing of the treaty in Amharic—theEthiopian language —and in Italian.Menelik believed he was giving up atiny portion of Ethiopia. However, theItalians claimed all of Ethiopia as aprotectorate. Meanwhile, Italian forceswere advancing into northernEthiopia. Menelik declared war. In1896, in one of the greatest battles inthe history of Africa—the Battle ofAdowa—Ethiopian forces successfullydefeated the Italians and maintainedtheir nation’s independence.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYD. Clarifying Whatdoes Morel believe isthe fate of Africa?D. Answer Africansare unable to resistthe power of whitemen.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYE. Analyzing CausesWhy would the Frenchand Russians sellarms to Ethiopia?E. Possible AnswerTo prevent Britainfrom taking overEthiopia.

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Maps 1. Region Which region had the largest area affected by resistance?2. Region Was any region unaffected by resistance movements?

694 CHAPTER 27

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Impact of Colonial RuleEuropean colonial rule forever altered Africans’ lives. For the mostpart, the effects were negative, but in some cases the Europeansbrought benefits.

On the positive side, colonialism reduced local warfare. Now,under the control of the European military, raids between rivaltribes were reduced. Humanitarian efforts in some coloniesimproved sanitation and brought hospitals and schools. As a result,life spans increased and literacy rates improved. Also positive wasthe economic expansion. African products came to be valued onthe international market. To aid the economic growth, Africancolonies gained railroads, dams, and telephone and telegraph lines.But for the most part, these only benefited European businessinterests, not Africans’ lives.

On the negative side, Africans lost control of their land and theirindependence. Many died of new diseases such as smallpox. Theyalso lost thousands of their people in resisting the Europeans.Famines resulted from the change to cash crops in place of subsis-tence agriculture.

Africans also suffered from a breakdown of their traditional cul-tures. Traditional authority figures were replaced. Homes and prop-erty were transferred with little regard to their importance to thepeople. Men were forced to leave villages to find ways to support themselves andtheir families. They had to work in mines, on European-owned farms, or on govern-ment projects such as railroad building. Contempt for the traditional culture andadmiration of European life undermined stable societies and caused identity prob-lems for Africans.

The most troublesome political legacy from the colonial period was the dividing ofthe African continent. Long-term rival chiefdoms were sometimes united, while atother times, kinship groups were split between colonies. The artificial boundaries thatcombined or unnaturally divided groups created problems that plagued Africancolonies during European occupation. These boundaries continue to create problemsfor the nations that evolved from the former colonies.

The patterns of behavior of imperialist powers were similar, no matter where theircolonies were located. Dealing with local traditions and peoples continued to causeproblems in other areas of the world dominated by Europeans. Resistance to theEuropean imperialists also continued, as you will see in Section 3.

F. Possible AnswerThe European militarywould not be there toprevent rival groupsfrom attacking eachother.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYF. RecognizingEffects Why mightthe problems causedby artificial bound-aries continue afterthe Europeans left?

2. TAKING NOTES

Re-create the chart below on yourpaper. Fill in the information onhow Europeans controlled andmanaged other areas of the world.

3. FORMING OPINIONS

Do you think Europeans couldhave conquered Africa if theIndustrial Revolution had neveroccurred? Explain your answer.

THINK ABOUT• the limited role of Europeans in

Africa until the late 1800s• what inventions changed

Europeans’ ability to enter Africa

4. THEME ACTIVITY

Power and Authority With asmall group of students, divideinto two teams, one representingthe Europeans and one represent-ing the Africans. Debate thefollowing statement: "The negativeeffects of imperialism outweighedits positive results."

1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify• paternalism• assimilation• Menelik II

Section Assessment2

Samori Touréabout 1830–1900

Samori Touré is a hero of theMandinka people. His empire isoften compared to the great MaliEmpire of the 1300s.

Touré was a nationalist whobuilt a powerful Mandinkankingdom by conquering neighbor-ing states. His kingdom became thethird largest empire in West Africa.

For 16 years, Touré opposed theFrench imperialists in West Africa.The well-armed Mandinkas wereFrance’s greatest foe in WestAfrica, and the two armies clashedseveral times. The MandinkanEmpire was finally brought down,not in battle, but by a famine.

Sekou Touré, the first presidentof the nation of Guinea in 1958,claimed to be the grandson ofSamori Touré.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■HISTORY MAKERS


European ImperialismForms ofControl

ManagementMethods

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696 Chapter 27

Views of ImperialismEuropean imperialism extended to the continents beyond Africa. As imperialism spread, the colonizerand the colonized viewed the experience of imperialism in very different ways. Some Europeans wereoutspoken about the superiority they felt toward the peoples they conquered. Others thought imperialismwas very wrong. Even the conquered had mixed feelings about their encounter with the Europeans.

E S S A Y

J. A. HobsonA journalist and essayist, Hobson was anoutspoken critic of imperialism. His 1902 book,Imperialism, made a great impression on hisfellow Britons.

For Europe to rule Asia by forcefor purposes of gain, and to justifythat rule by the pretence that she iscivilizing Asia and raising her to ahigher level of spiritual life, will beadjudged by history, perhaps, to bethe crowning wrong and folly ofImperialism. What Asia has to give,her priceless stores of wisdomgarnered from her experience ofages, we refuse to take; the much orlittle which we could give we spoil bythe brutal manner of our giving. Thisis what Imperialism has done, and isdoing, for Asia.

S P E E C H

Jules FerryIn a speech before the French National Assembly onJuly 28,1883, Jules Ferry summarized reasons forsupporting French imperialism.

Nations are great in our times onlyby means of the activities which theydevelop; it is not simply ‘by thepeaceful shining forth of institu-tions . . .’ that they are great at thishour. . . . Something else is neededfor France: . . . that she must also bea great country exercising all of herrightful influence over the destiny ofEurope, that she ought to propagatethis influence throughout the worldand carry everywhere that she canher language, her customs, her flag,her arms, and her genius.

S P E E C H

Dadabhai NaorojiDadabhai Naoroji was the first Indian elected to theBritish Parliament. He was also a part of the foundingof the Indian National Congress. In 1871, hedelivered a speech answering a question about theimpact of Great Britain on India. In the speech helisted positives and negatives about the rule of theBritish. The conclusion of the speech is printed below.

To sum up the whole, the Britishrule has been—morally, a greatblessing; politically peace and orderon one hand, blunders on the other,materially, impoverishment. . . . Thenatives call the British system “Sakarki Churi,” the knife of sugar. That isto say there is no oppression, it is allsmooth and sweet, but it is the knife,notwithstanding. I mention this thatyou should know these feelings. Ourgreat misfortune is that you do notknow our wants. When you will knowour real wishes, I have not the leastdoubt that you would do justice. Thegenius and spirit of the British peopleis fair play and justice.

P O L I T I C A L C A R T O O N

Devilfish in Egyptian WatersNotice that Egypt is not yet one of the areas controlled by the British.

Analyzing Effects For eachexcerpt, list the positive and negative effects of imperialismmentioned by the speaker.

SEE SKILLBUILDER HANDBOOK, PAGE R6

Research List the countries con-trolled by England as shown in thepolitical cartoon. Research to findout what year each of thembecame independent. Make achart showing the countries inorder by the year they were freedfrom colonial status. Next to eachone also write its current name.

For another perspectiveon imperialism, see

World History: Electronic Library of PrimarySources.

Connect to Today

Connect to History

CD-ROM

differentPERSPECTIVES

690-696-0627s 10/11/02 4:40 PM Page 696

SETTING THE STAGE The European powers who carved up Africa among themselvesalso looked elsewhere to see what other lands they could control. The Muslim landsthat rimmed the Mediterranean had largely been claimed as a result of Arab andOttoman conquests. Now the Muslim power in those areas was weakening. Euro-peans competed with each other to gain control of this strategically important area.

Ottoman Empire Loses PowerThe Ottoman Empire at its peak stretched from Hungary in the north, throughGreece, around the Black Sea, south through Syria, and across Egypt all the way westto the borders of Morocco. But during the empire’s last 300 years, it steadily declinedin power. The declining empire had difficulties trying to fit into the modern world.However, the Ottomans made attemptsto change before they finally wereunable to hold back the Europeanimperialist powers.

Reforms Fail When Suleiman I, thelast great Ottoman sultan, died in 1566,he was followed by a succession ofweak sultans. The ruling party broke upinto a number of quarreling, often cor-rupt factions. Along with weakeningpower came other problems. Corrup-tion and theft had caused financiallosses. Coinage was devalued, causinginflation. Unemployed ex-soldiers andstudents caused trouble. Once a leaderin scientific, mechanical, and adminis-trative achievements, the OttomanEmpire fell further and further behindEurope.

When Selim III came into power in1789, he attempted to modernize thearmy. The older janissary corps resistedhis efforts. Selim III was overthrownand reform movements were temporar-ily abandoned. Meanwhile, nationalist feelings began to stir among the Ottoman’s sub-ject peoples. In 1830, Greece gained its independence, and Serbia gained self-rule.The Ottomans’ weakness was becoming apparent to European powers, who wereexpanding their territories. They began to look for ways to take the lands away fromthe Ottomans.

Muslim Lands Fall toImperialist Demands

3TERMS & NAMES

• geopolitics• Crimean War• Suez Canal

MAIN IDEA

European nations expanded theirempires by seizing territories fromMuslim states.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Political events in this vital resourcearea are still influenced by actionsfrom the imperialistic period.


Mecca

Istanbul

40° E

80° E

0°

Tropic of Cancer

40° N

Mediterranean Sea

Caspian

Sea

Red

Sea

PersianG

u lf

B la ck S eaCRIMEA

BALKANS

(independent1817,1913) AZERBAIJAN

(independent1730)

ITALY

SPAIN

FRANCE

GREECE

SE

RB

IA

AUSTRIA R U S S I A

PERSIA

ANATOLIA

ARABIA

MOROCCO(to France

1912)

ALGERIA(to France

1830)

TUNISIA(to France

1881)

TRIPOLI(to Italy

1912) EGYPT(partially

independent1841)

BULGARIA

ROMANIA

ALBANIA

(to Austria1699, 1878)

Cyprus(to Britain

1878)

(to Russia1803, 1829)

(to Russia1783)

HUNGARY

0 1,000 Miles

0 2,000 Kilometers

Ottoman Empire, 1699–1914

Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent in 1699

Ottoman Empire in 1914Territory becomespart of

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Maps 1. Region Approximately how much of the Ottoman Empire was

lost by 1914?2. Region How many European nations claimed parts of the

Ottoman Empire? Which areas became independent?

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Europeans Grab TerritoryGeopolitics—an interest in or taking of land for its strategic location or products—played an important role in the fate of the Ottoman Empire. World powers wereattracted to its strategic location. The Ottomans controlled access to the Mediter-ranean and the Atlantic sea trade. Merchants in landlocked countries that lay beyondthe Black Sea had to go through Ottoman lands. Russia, for example, desperatelywanted passage for its grain exports across the Black Sea and into the MediterraneanSea. This desire strongly influenced Russia’s relations with the Ottoman Empire.Russia attempted to win Ottoman favor, formed alliances with Ottoman enemies, andfinally waged war against the Ottomans. Discovery of oil in Persia and the ArabianPeninsula around 1900 focused even more attention on the area.

Russia and the Crimean War Each generation of Russian czars launched a war onthe Ottomans to try to gain land on the Black Sea. In 1853, war broke out betweenthe Russians and the Ottomans. The war was called the Crimean War, after a penin-sula in the Black Sea where most of the war was fought. Britain and France wanted toprevent the Russians from gaining control of additional Ottoman lands. So theyentered the war on the side of the Ottoman Empire. The combined forces of theOttomans, Britain, and France defeated Russia. The Crimean War was the first war inwhich women, led by Florence Nightingale, established their position as army nurses.It was also the first war to be covered by newspaper correspondents.

The Crimean War revealed the Ottoman Empire’s military weakness. Despite thehelp of Britain and France, the Ottoman Empire continued to lose lands. TheRussians came to the aid of Slavic people in the Balkans who rebelled against theOttomans. The Ottomans lost control of Romania, Montenegro, Cyprus, Bosnia,Herzegovina, and an area that became Bulgaria. The Ottomans lost land in Africa,too. By the beginning of World War I, the Ottoman Empire was reduced to a smallportion of its former size.

Observing the slow decline of the Ottoman Empire, some Muslim leaders decidedthat their countries would either have to adjust to the modern world or be consumedby it. Egypt and Persia both initiated political and social reforms, in part to blockEuropean domination of their lands.

Egypt Tries Reform Modernization came to Egypt as a result of the interest in thearea created by the French Revolution. Egypt’s strategic location at the head of theRed Sea appeared valuable to France and Britain. After Napoleon failed to winEgypt, a new leader emerged: Muhammad Ali. The Ottomans sent him to govern

This 1897 lithographshows the Britishforces at the Battleof Balaklava in theCrimean War. Thisbattle was theinspiration for afamous poem by Alfred, LordTennyson, “TheCharge of the LightBrigade.”

A. Answer If theOttoman Empire couldnot keep the Euro-peans out, they worried they wouldnot be able to keepthe Europeans out oftheir lands either.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYA. AnalyzingCauses Why wouldthe decline of theOttoman Empire makeother Muslim coun-tries try to change?

698 Chapter 27

697-700-0627s3 10/11/02 4:41 PM Page 698

THINK THOUGH HISTORYB. RecognizingEffects What twoeffects did raising cot-ton have on Egyptianagriculture?B. Answer BroughtEgyptians into theinternational market,reduced production offood crops.

Egypt, but he soon broke away from Ottoman control. In 1841, he fought a series ofbattles in which he gained control of Syria and Arabia. Through the combined effortsof European powers, he and his heirs were recognized as hereditary rulers of Egypt.

Muhammad Ali began a series of reforms in the military and in the economy. Hepersonally directed a shift of Egyptian agriculture to a plantation cash crop—cotton. This brought Egypt into the international marketplace, but at a cost to thepeasants. They lost the use of lands they traditionally farmed. They were forced togrow cash crops in place of food crops.

Muhammad Ali’s efforts to modernize Egypt were continued by his grandson,Isma’il. Isma’il supported the construction of the Suez Canal. The canal was a man-made waterway that cut through the Isthmus of Suez. It connected the Red Sea to theMediterranean. It was built mainly with French money and Egyptian labor. The SuezCanal was opened in 1869 with a huge international celebration. However, Isma’il’smodernization efforts, such as irrigation projects and communication networks, wereenormously expensive. Egypt soon found that it could not pay its European bankerseven the interest on its $450 million debt. The British insisted on overseeing financialcontrol of the canal, and in 1882 the British occupied Egypt.

British control of the Suez Canal remained an important part of British imperialpolicy. The canal was viewed as the “Lifeline of the Empire” because it allowed theBritish quicker access to its colonies in Asia and Africa. A British imperialist, JosephChamberlain, presented a speech to Parliament. In it he supported the continuedcontrol of the canal:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TI approve of the continued occupation of Egypt; and for the same reasons I have urgedupon this Government, . . . the necessity for using every legitimate opportunity toextend our influence and control in that great African continent which is now beingopened up to civilization and to commerce. . . .JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, in a speech, January 22, 1894

Persia Pressured to Change Elsewhere in southwest Asia, Russia and Britain competed to exploit Persia commercially and to bring that country under their own spheres of influence. Russia was especially interested in gaining access to the PersianGulf and the Indian Ocean. Twice Persia gave up territories to Russia after militarydefeats in 1813 and 1828. Britain wasinterested in using Afghanistan as abuffer between India and Russia.


Miles saved: 4,000

Time saved: 2 weeks

Suez Canal30°N

35°E

30°E Mediterranean

Sea

Nile

R.

SuezCanal

Red S ea

S I N A I

E G Y P T

0

0

100 Miles

200 Kilometers

SKILLBU ILDER :Interpreting Graphsand Maps1. Place Approximately

how long is the SuezCanal?

2. Location The map onthe left indicates that4,000 miles were cutoff the trip and 2weeks’ time was saved.How many miles weresaved per day?

3. Approximately howmuch tonnage wasshipped in 1880?

01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,000

188018781876187418721870

Tonn

age

ship

ped

TONNAGE SHIPPED

Source: The Suez Canal, Charles W. Hallberg

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In 1857, Persia resisted British demands but was forced to give up all claims toAfghanistan. Britain’s interest in Persia increased greatly after the discovery of oilthere in 1908.

Persia lacked the capital to develop its own resources. To raise money and to gaineconomic prestige, the Persian ruler began granting concessions to Western busi-nesses. Businesses bought the right to operate in a certain area or develop a certainproduct. For example, a British corporation, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, beganto develop Persia’s rich oil fields in the early 1900s.

Tension arose between the often corrupt rulers, who wanted to sell concessions toEuropeans, and the people. The people were often backed by religious leaders whofeared change or disliked Western influence in their nation. In 1891, Nasir al-Dinattempted to sell the rights to export and distribute Persian tobacco to a British com-pany. This action outraged Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, a modernist leader, whohelped set up a tobacco boycott by the heavy-smoking Persians. In the following

quote, he expresses his contempt for the Persian ruler:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S T. . . He has sold to the foes of our Faith the greater part of the Persianlands and the profits derived from them, for example . . . tobacco, withthe chief centers of its cultivation, the lands on which it is grown and the warehouses, carriers, and sellers, wherever these are found. . . .

In short, this criminal has offered the provinces of Persia to auction among the Powers, and is selling the realms of Islam and the abodes of Muhammad and his household to foreigners.SAYYID JAMAL AL-DIN AL-AFGHANI, in a letter to Hasan Shirazi, April 1891

The tobacco boycott worked. Riots broke out and the ruler wascompelled to cancel the concession. As unrest continued in Persia,the government was unable to control the situation. In 1906, a groupof revolutionaries forced the ruler to establish a constitution. In1907, Russia and Britain took over the country and divided it intospheres of influence.

In the Muslim lands, the European imperialists gained controlby using economic imperialism and creating spheres of influence.Although some governments made attempts at modernization, inmost cases it was too little too late. In other areas of the globe,imperialists provided the modernization. India, for example,became a colony that experienced massive change as a result ofthe occupation of the imperialist British. You will learn aboutIndia in Section 4.

BackgroundBritain needed oil forits ships, which nowran on oil rather thancoal. Thus, theyneeded greater sup-plies of petroleum.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYC. Clarifying Whydid al-Afghani con-demn the actions ofthe Persian ruler?C. Possible AnswerHe sold out the landand the profits fromthem to foreigners.

700 Chapter 27

2. TAKING NOTES

Re-create the diagram below andfill in at least three details thatsupport the main idea.

What imperialistic forms of controldid the Europeans use to governthese lands?

3. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

How were the reactions of Africanand Muslim rulers to imperialismsimilar? How were they different?

THINK ABOUT• African and Muslim patterns of

resistance• African and Muslim efforts

toward modernization

4. ANALYZING THEMES

Economics Why did Europeanimperialist powers want to takeover Ottoman Empire lands?

THINK ABOUT• the location of the Ottoman

Empire• its special resources• European ambitions

1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify• geopolitics• Crimean War• Suez Canal

Section Assessment3

Tobacco and Politics

Tobacco production is a hugeindustry in the world. It is estimatedthat about 7 million metric tons oftobacco are consumed each year.(That is about 6 trillion cigarettesper year.)

In some countries, production oftobacco is a major part of theeconomy. Taxes on tobaccoproducts generate much revenue incountries across the world. Sincethe tobacco industry creates hugeprofits, it often has an impact on thepolitics of a country as well.

Health concerns about tobaccoconsumption have also found theirway into politics. Worldwide,countries are looking at governmentcontrol of tobacco products as away to deal with health problems.

Since the 1980s the WorldHealth Organization has promoted a World No-Tobacco Day, whichoccurs on May 31 each year.

CONNECT to TODAY

Muslim states failed to keep Europeanimperialists out of their lands.

Detail DetailDetail

697-700-0627s3 10/11/02 4:41 PM Page 700


SETTING THE STAGE British economic interest in India began in the 1600s, whenthe British East India Company set up trading posts at Bombay, Madras, andCalcutta. At first, India’s ruling Mughal Dynasty kept European traders under control.By 1707, however, the Mughal Empire was collapsing. Dozens of small states, eachheaded by a ruler or maharajah, broke away from Mughal control.

British Expand Control Over IndiaThe East India Company quickly took advantage of the growing weakness of theMughals. In 1757, Robert Clive led company troops in a decisive victory over Indianforces at the Battle of Plassey. From that time on, the East India Company was theleading power in India. The area controlled by the company grew over time. Even-tually, it governed directly or indirectly an area that included modern Bangladesh, mostof southern India, and nearly all the territory along the Ganges River in the north.

East India Company Dominates Officially, the British government regulated theEast India Company’s efforts both in London and in India. Until the beginning of the19th century, the company ruled India with little interference from the British gov-ernment. The company even had its own army, led by British officers and staffed bysepoys, or Indian soldiers. The governor of Bombay, Mountstuart Elphinstone,referred to the sepoy army as “a delicate and dangerous machine, which a little mis-management may easily turn against us.”

“Jewel in the Crown” Produces Trade Products At first, India was treasured bythe British more for its potential than its actual profit. The Industrial Revolution hadturned Britain into the world’sworkshop, and India was a majorsupplier of raw materials for thatworkshop. Its 300 million peoplewere also a large potential mar-ket for British-made goods. It isnot surprising, then, that theBritish considered India thebrightest “jewel in the crown”— the most valuable of all ofBritain’s colonies.

The British set up restrictionsthat prevented the Indian econ-omy from operating on its own.British policies called for India toproduce raw materials for Britishmanufacturing and to buy Britishfinished goods. In addition,

British Imperialism inIndia

4TERMS & NAMES

• sepoy• “jewel in the

crown”• Sepoy Mutiny• Raj

MAIN IDEA

As the Mughal Empire declined, Britainseized Indian territory until it con-trolled almost the whole subcontinent.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

India, the second most populatednation in the world, has its politicalroots in this colony.

Tea from theLipton plantationin Darjeeling isloaded onto anelephant fortransport toCalcutta.

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P A C I F I CO C E A N

I N D I A N O C E A N

Ara b i a nS e a

B a y o fB e n g a l

S o u t hC h i n a

S e a

E a s tC h i n a

S e a

Y e l l owS e a

S e ao f

J a p a n

Indu

s R.

Ganges R.

Hua

ngH

e

Chang Jia

ng

(Yang

tzeR.)

(Yello

wR.

)

Persian

Gulf

Tehran

Delhi

Rangoon

Bangkok

Beijing

Tokyo

Hong Kong(Britain)

Saigon

Manila

Hanoi

Macao(Portugal)

Singapore(Britain)

Batavia

PERSIA

ARABIA

BRITISH

INDIABURMA

BHUTAN

MALAYSTATES

SIAM

KOREA(Japan)

JAPAN

TAIWAN(Japan)

SARAWAK

BRITISHN. BORNEO

BRUNEI

PHILIPPINE IS.

MANCHURIA

CHINA

NEPAL

AFG

HA

NIS

TA

N

IND

OC

HIN

AFR

EN

CH

DU

TC H

E A S T I N D I E S

CEYLON

Borneo

New Guinea

HIM

ALAYAS

0° Equator

40°N

120°E

80°E

40°E

Tropic of Cancer

FranceGermanyGreat BritainNetherlandsUnited States

Western-held Territories in Asia, 1910

0

0

1,000 Miles

2,000 Kilometers

• jute—765,000 tons in 1909• wheat—1.3 million tons in 1914• oilseeds—1.5 million tons in 1913• tea—192 million pounds in 1900• cotton—valued at 410 million

rupees* in 1913• hides and skins—valued at 160

million rupees in 1913

*A rupee is the Indian currency.

Indian competition with British finished goods was prohibited. For example, India’sown handloom textile industry was almost put out of business by imported British tex-tiles. Cheap cloth and ready-made clothes from England flooded the Indian marketand drove out local producers.

India became economically valuable only after the British established a railroadnetwork. Railroads transported raw products from the interior to the ports and manufactured goods back again. The majority of the raw materials were agriculturalproducts produced on plantations. Plantation crops included tea, indigo, coffee, cot-ton, and jute. Another crop was opium. The British shipped opium to China andexchanged it for tea, which they then sold in England.

Trading these crops was closely tied to international events. For example, theCrimean War in the 1850s cut off the supply of Russian jute to Scottish jute mills. Thisboosted the export of raw jute from Bengal, a province in India. Likewise, cotton pro-duction in India increased when the Civil War in the United States cut off supplies ofcotton for British textile mills.

Impact of Colonialism India both benefited from and was oppressed by British colo-nialism. On the positive side, the laying of the world’s third largest railroad network wasa major British achievement. When completed, the railroads enabled India to develop amodern economy and brought unity to the connected regions. Along with the railroads,a modern road network, telephone and telegraph lines, dams, bridges, and irrigationcanals enabled India to modernize. Sanitation and public health improved. Schools andcolleges were founded, and literacy increased. Also, British troops cleared central Indiaof bandits and put an end to local warfare among competing local rulers.

Vocabularyjute: a fiber used forsacks and cord.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYA. Summarizing Onwhich continents areIndian goods beingtraded?A. Answer Asia andEurope.

702 Chapter 27

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBU ILDER : Interpreting Maps 1. Region Which nation in 1900 held the most land in colonies?2. Location How is the location of India a great advantage for trade?

India’s Exports

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On the negative side, the Britishheld much of the political and eco-nomic power. The British restrictedIndian-owned industries such ascotton textiles. The emphasis oncash crops resulted in a loss of self-sufficiency for many villagers. Theconversion to cash crops reducedfood production, causing famines inthe late 1800s. The British officiallyadopted a hands-off policy regard-ing Indian religious and social customs. Even so, the increasedpresence of missionaries and theoutspoken racist attitude of mostBritish officials threatened Indiantraditional life.

Indians RebelBy 1850, the British controlled mostof the Indian subcontinent. How-ever, there were many pockets ofdiscontent. Many Indians believedthat in addition to controlling theirland the British were trying to convert them to Christianity. TheIndian people also resented the constant racism that the Britishexpressed toward them.

Sepoy Rebellion As economicproblems increased for Indians, sodid their feelings of resentmentand nationalism. In 1857, gossipspread among the sepoys, theIndian soldiers, that the cartridgesof their new Enfield rifles weresealed with beef and pork fat. Touse the cartridges, soldiers had tobite off the seal. Both Hindus, whoconsider the cow sacred, andMuslims, who do not eat pork, were outraged by the news.

A garrison commander was shocked when 85 of the 90 sepoys refused to accept thecartridges. The British handled the crisis badly. The soldiers who had disobeyed werejailed. The next day, on May 10, 1857, the sepoys rebelled. They marched to Delhi,where they were joined by Indian soldiers stationed there. They captured the city ofDelhi. From Delhi, the rebellion spread to northern and central India.

Some historians have called this outbreak the Sepoy Mutiny. The uprising spreadover much of northern India. Fierce fighting took place. Both British and sepoys triedto slaughter each other’s armies. The East India Company took more than a year toregain control of the country. The British government sent troops to help them.

The Indians could not unite against the British due to weak leadership and serioussplits between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus did not want the Muslim MughalEmpire restored. Indeed, many Hindus preferred British rule to Muslim rule. Most

B. Possible AnswerYes, he predictedproblems with sepoyarmies if they werenot handled correctly.The mutiny was proofof this.THINK THROUGH HISTORYB. RecognizingEffects Look back atElphinstone’s com-ment on page 701.Did the Sepoy Mutinyprove him correct?Explain your answer.


British Army

Social class determined the way oflife for the British Army in India.Upper-class men served asofficers. Lower-class Britishserved at lesser rank and did notadvance past the rank of sergeant.Only men with the rank of sergeantand above were allowed to bringtheir wives to India.

Each English officer’s wifeattempted to re-create Englandin the home setting. Like ageneral, she directed an army of20 to 30 servants.

Officers and enlisted men spentmuch of each day involved insports such as cricket, polo, andrugby. Athletics were encouragedto keep the men from “drink andidleness.” The upper-class officersalso spent time socializing atfancy-dress dances, concerts, andafter-polo events.

Indian Servants

Caste determined Indian occu-pations. Jobs were strictly dividedby caste. Castes were divided intofour broad categories called varna.Indian civil servants were of thethird varna. House and personalservants were of the fourth varna.

Even within the varna, jobswere strictly regulated, which iswhy such large servant staffswere required. For example, in thepicture above, although both wereof the same varna, the personwashing the man’s feet was of adifferent caste than the persondoing the fanning.

The social life of the servantscentered around religious festi-vals and ceremonies markingimportant life passages. Theseincluded a child’s first haircut,religious initiation, engagement,marriage, or childbirth.

Daily Life

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of the princes and maharajahs who had made alliances with the East India Companydid not take part in the rebellion. The Sikhs, a religious group that had been hostile tothe Mughals, also remained loyal to the British. Indeed, from then on, the beardedand turbaned Sikhs became the mainstay of Britain’s army in India.

Turning Point The mutiny marked a turning point in Indian history. As a result ofthe mutiny, in 1858, the British government took direct command of India. The partof India that was under direct British rule was called the Raj. The term Raj referredto British rule over India from 1757 until 1947. India was divided into 11 provincesand some 250 districts. Sometimes a handful of officials were the only British amongthe million or so people in a district. A cabinet minister in London directed policy,and a British governor-general in India carried out the government’s orders. After1877, this official held the title of viceroy. To reward the many princes who hadremained loyal to Britain, the British promised to respect all treaties the East IndiaCompany had made with them. They also promised that the Indian states that werestill free would remain independent. Unofficially, however, Britain won greater andgreater control of those states.

The Sepoy Mutiny fueled the racist attitudes of the English. The English attitude isillustrated in the following quote by Lord Kitchener, British commander in chief ofthe army in India:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TIt is this consciousness of the inherent superiority of the European which has won for usIndia. However well educated and clever a native may be, and however brave he mayprove himself, I believe that no rank we can bestow on him would cause him to be con-sidered an equal of the British officer.LORD KITCHENER, quoted in K. M. Panikkar, Asia and Western Dominance

The mutiny increased distrust between the British and the Indians. A politicalpamphlet suggested that both Hindus and Muslims “are being ruined under thetyranny and oppression of the . . . treacherous English.”

This English engraving showsthe British troopsdefending the RoyalResidency atLucknow against asepoy attack onJuly 30, 1857.

C. PossibleAnswers More ofIndia was underBritish control; greaterdistrust betweenIndians and theBritish.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYC. RecognizingEffects In what waysdid the Sepoy Mutinychange the politicalclimate of India?

704 Chapter 27

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Indian Nationalist Movements BeginIn the early 1800s, some Indians began demanding more moderniza-tion and a greater role in governing themselves. Ram Mohun Roy, amodern-thinking, well-educated Indian, began a campaign to moveIndia away from traditional practices and ideas. Sometimes calledthe “Father of Modern India,” Ram Mohun Roy called for an end towidow suicide, which he believed was a murderous act. He saw childmarriages and the rigid caste separation as parts of religious life thatneeded to be changed to bring India into a more modern frame ofmind. He believed that if the practices were not changed, Indiawould continue to be controlled by outsiders. Roy’s writings inspiredother Indian reformers to call for adoption of Western ways. Roy alsofounded a social reform movement that worked for change in India.

Besides modernization and westernization, nationalist feelingsstarted to surface in India. Indians resented a system that madethem second-class citizens in their own country. Even Indians with aEuropean education faced discrimination. They were barred fromtop posts in the Indian Civil Service. Those who managed to getmiddle-level jobs were paid less than Europeans. A British engineeron the East India Railway, for example, made nearly 20 times asmuch money as an Indian engineer.

A spirit of Indian nationalism led to the founding of two national-ist groups, the Indian National Congress in 1885 and the MuslimLeague in 1906. At first, such groups concentrated on specific con-cerns for Indians. Gradually their demands broadened. By the early1900s, they were calling for self-government.

The nationalists were further inflamed in 1905 by the partition ofBengal. The province, which had a population of 85 million, was toolarge for administrative purposes. So the British divided it into aHindu section and a Muslim section. Acts of terrorism broke out. Theprovince was on the edge of open rebellion. In 1911, yielding to thepressure, the British took back the order and divided the province in adifferent way.

Conflict over the control of India continued to develop betweenthe Indians and the British in the following years. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, thesame struggles for control of land took place between local groups and the majorEuropean powers that dominated them. You will learn about them in Section 5.

BackgroundHindu tradition knownas suttee called for awidow to be burnedalive on the funeralpyre of her husband.

D. Possible AnswerBecause these groupsoften were hostile toeach other, it wouldmake control of theareas easier.THINK THROUGH HISTORYD. AnalyzingMotives Why wouldthe British think thatdividing the Hindusand Muslims into sep-arate sections wouldbe good?

2. TAKING NOTES

Re-create on your paper thecause-and-effect diagram belowand fill in the effects of the threecauses listed.

Which of the effects you listedlater became causes?

3. ANALYZING

How did imperialism contribute tounity and the growth ofnationalism in India?

THINK ABOUT• the benefits of imperialism• the negative effects of

imperialism

4. ANALYZING THEMES

Empire Building How dideconomic imperialism lead toIndia’s becoming a British colony?

THINK ABOUT• the role of the British East India

Company• the Sepoy Mutiny

1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify• sepoy • “jewel in the crown”• Sepoy Mutiny• Raj

Section Assessment4

Cause Effect

1. Decline of the Mughal Empire

2. Colonial policies

3. Sepoy Mutiny

Ram Mohun Roy1772–1833

An extremely bright student, RamMohun Roy learned Persian,Sanskrit, and Arabic as a child. Hespent many hours studying thereligions of the world to understandpeople. He also studied the socialand political ideas of the Americanand French revolutions.

Roy watched his sister-in-lawburned alive on the funeral pyre ofher husband. After that, heresolved to end practices thatrooted India to the past. He chal-lenged traditional Hindu cultureand called for modernization ofHindu society.

The Hindu reform society heorganized, Brahmo Samaj, shapedthe thinking of the 19th-centuryIndian reformers. The society was the forerunner of the Indiannationalist movements.

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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■HISTORY MAKERS

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SETTING THE STAGE Just as the European powers rushed to divide Africa, theyalso competed to carve up the lands of Southeast Asia. These lands form part of thePacific Rim, the countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Western nations desiredthe Pacific Rim lands for their strategic location along the sea route to China.Westerners also recognized the value of the Pacific colonies as sources of tropicalagriculture, minerals, and oil.

Western Rivalries for Pacific Rim LandsEarly in the 19th century, the Dutch East India Company established control overmost of the 3,000-mile-long chain of Indonesian islands. As the European powersbegan to appreciate the value of the area, they challenged each other for their ownparts of the prize. The British established a major trading port at Singapore. TheFrench took over Indochina on the Southeast Asian mainland. The Germans claimedNew Guinea and the Marshall and Solomon islands.

Plantation Products Spur Competition The lands of SoutheastAsia were perfect for plantation agriculture. The major focus was onsugar cane, coffee, cocoa, rubber, coconuts, bananas, and pineapple.As these products became more important in the world trade mar-

kets, European powers raced each other to claim lands.

Dutch Expand Control The Dutch East India Com-pany, chartered in 1602, actively sought lands in SoutheastAsia. It seized Melaka from the Portuguese and fought theBritish and Javanese for control of Java. The discovery ofoil and tin on the islands and the desire for more rubberplantations prompted the Dutch to gradually expand theircontrol over Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, andBali. Finally the company ruled the whole island chain ofIndonesia, then called the Dutch East Indies.

Management of plantations and trade brought a largeDutch population to the islands. In contrast to theBritish, who lived temporarily in India but retired inBritain, the Dutch thought of Indonesia as their home.They created a rigid social class system. The Dutch wereon top, wealthy and educated Indonesians came next,and plantation workers resided at the bottom. The Dutchalso forced farmers to plant one-fifth of their land inspecified export crops.

British Take the Malayan Peninsula To compete withthe Dutch, the British sought a trading base that would

Traditional-styleboats anchor inmodern Singaporeharbor. High-risebuildings of the20th century markSingapore as amajor city. TodaySingapore is asuccessful tradingnation on thePacific Rim.

A. Answer Bothwere trading compa-nies that practicedeconomic imperialism.THINK THROUGH HISTORYA. Comparing Howwas the Dutch EastIndia Company likethe British East IndiaCompany?

Western Powers RuleSoutheast Asia

5TERMS & NAMES

• Pacific Rim• King Mongkut• Emilio Aguinaldo• annexation• Queen

Liliuokalani

MAIN IDEA

Demand for Asian products droveWestern imperialists to seekpossession of Southeast Asian lands.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Southeast Asian independencestruggles in the 20th century have theirroots in this period of imperialism.

706

INDIANOCEAN

SouthChinaSea

BURMA

MALAYSTATES

SIAM

PHILIPPINEIS.

IND

OC

HIN

AFR

EN

CH

DUTCH EAST INDIES

Singapore

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serve as a stop for its ships that traveled the India-China sea routes.They found the ideal location—a large, sheltered harbor—onSingapore, an island just off the tip of the Malay Peninsula. Theopening of the Suez Canal and the increased demand for tin and rub-ber combined to make Singapore one of the world’s busiest ports.

Britain also gained colonies in Malaysia and in Burma (modernMyanmar). Malaysia had large deposits of tin and became the world’sleading rubber exporter. Upper Burma provided teak, while centralBurma exported oil. Needing workers to mine the tin and tap therubber trees, Britain encouraged Chinese to immigrate to Malaysia.Chinese flocked to the area, and some of them became highly suc-cessful in business. As a result of such immigration, the Malays soonbecame a minority in their own country. Conflict between the resi-dent Chinese and the native Malays remains unresolved today.

French Control Indochina The French had been active in South-east Asia since the turn of the century. They even helped the Nguyen(nuh•WIN) dynasty rise to power in Vietnam. In the 1840s, during therule of an anti-Christian Vietnamese emperor, seven French mission-aries were killed. Church leaders and capitalists who wanted a largershare of the overseas market demanded military intervention.Emperor Napoleon III ordered the French army to invade southernVietnam. Later, the French added Laos, Cambodia, and northernVietnam to the territory. The combined states would eventually becalled French Indochina. In 1867, a governor of a Vietnamese statetold how overpowering the French were:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TNow, the French are come, with their powerful weapons of war tocause dissension among us. We are weak against them; our comman-ders and our soldiers have been vanquished. Each battle adds to ourmisery. . . . The French have immense warships, filled with soldiers andarmed with huge cannons. No one can resist them. They go where theywant, the strongest ramparts fall before them.PHAN THANH GIAN, in a letter to his administrators

The French colonists tried to impose their culture on the Indochinese. Using directcolonial management, the French themselves filled all important positions in the gov-ernment bureaucracy. They did not encourage local industry. Rice became a majorexport crop. Four times as much land was devoted to rice production. However, thepeasants’ consumption of rice decreased because rice was shipped out of the region.Anger over this reduction set the stage for Vietnamese resistance against the French.

Colonial Impact In Southeast Asia, colonization brought mixed results. Economiesgrew based on cash crops or goods such as tin and rubber that could be sold on theworld market. Roads, harbors, and rail systems linked areas and improved communi-cation and transportation. These improvements were more for the benefit ofEuropean business than the local population. However, education, health, and sanita-tion did improve. Political changes included unification of areas at the cost of weakerlocal leaders and governments.

Unlike other colonial areas, millions of people from other areas of Asia and theworld migrated to work on plantations and in the mines in Southeast Asia. This migra-tion changed the cultural and racial makeup of the area. Southeast Asia became amelting pot of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists. The resulting culturalchanges often led to racial and religious clashes that are still seen today.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYB. AnalyzingMotives Why do youthink so many Chinesewould move toMalaysia?B. Possible AnswerThey were probably insearch of jobs due toovercrowding, famine,or political unrest.

C. Possible AnswerEconomies grew, edu-cation and healthimproved, areas uni-fied but lost localleaders, migrationresulted in culturalchange.

THINK THROUGH HISTORYC. RecognizingEffects Whatchanges took place in Southeast Asia as a result of colonialcontrol?

Migrating Rubber Plants

The rubber tree is native to theSouth American tropics. SouthAmerican Indians first realized itspotential and used the sap to makeballs and “waterproof” shoes.

At first rubber sap was only acuriosity in Europe. Then American,Scottish, and British inventorsdiscovered ways of processing it.In 1876, an English botanistcollected seeds from wild trees inthe Amazon rainforest and plantedthem in Kew Gardens in London.Later, young trees grown fromthose seeds were taken to Ceylonand the Malay Peninsula to startrubber plantations there.

The invention of automobilescreated a huge demand for rubber.Rubber plantations soon mush-roomed in Southeast Asia, Africa,and Central and South America.

GlobalImpact

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Siam Maintains IndependenceWhile its neighbors on all sides fell under the control of imperialists, Siam (present-day Thailand) maintained its independence throughout the colonial period. Siam laybetween British-controlled Burma and French Indochina. (See map on page 702.)France and Britain both aimed to prevent the other from gaining control of Siam.Knowing this, Siamese kings skillfully promoted Siam as a neutral zone between thetwo powers.

Siam modernized itself under the guidance of King Mongkut and hisson Chulalongkorn. In a royal proclamation, King Chulalongkorn showedhis understanding of the importance of progress:

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TAs the times and the course of things in our country have changed, itis essential to promote the advancement of all our academic and tech-nical knowledge and to prevent it from succumbing [giving in] to compe-tition from the outside. In order to achieve this, it is imperative tomake haste in education so that knowledge and ability will increase.KING CHULALONGKORN, “Royal Proclamation in Education”

To accomplish the changes, Siam started schools,reformed the legal system, and reorganized thegovernment. The government built its own rail-roads and telegraph systems and ended slavery.Because the changes came from their own gov-ernment, the Siamese people escaped the socialturmoil, racist treatment, and economic exploita-tion that occurred in other countries controlledby foreigners.

U.S. Acquires Pacific IslandsBecause they fought for their independence from Britain,most Americans disliked the idea of colonizing other nations. However, two groups ofAmericans were outspoken in their support of imperialism. One group of ambitiousempire-builders felt the United States should fulfill its destiny as a world power, colo-nizing like the Europeans. The other group, business interests, welcomed the openingof new markets and trade possibilities. Beginning in 1898, the United States began toacquire territory and to establish trading posts in the Pacific.

The Philippines Change Hands The United States acquired the PhilippineIslands, Puerto Rico, and Guam as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898.Gaining the Philippines touched off a debate in the United States over imperialism.President McKinley’s views swayed many to his side. He told a group of Methodistministers that he had concluded “that there was nothing left for us to do but to takethem all [the Philippine Islands], and to educate Filipinos, and uplift andChristianize them.”

Filipino nationalists who had already been fighting with the Spanish were not happy totrade one colonizer for another. Emilio Aguinaldo (eh•MEE•lyoh ah•gee•NAHL•doh),leader of the Filipino nationalists, claimed that the United States had promised imme-diate independence after the Spanish-American War ended. The nationalists declaredindependence and the establishment of the Philippine Republic.

The United States immediately plunged into a fierce struggle with the Filipinonationalists and defeated them in 1902. The United States promised the Philippinepeople that it would prepare them for self-rule. To achieve this goal, the United Statesprovided many benefits to the islands. It built roads, railroads, and hospitals, and set up school systems. However, American businesses exploited the Philippines

708 Chapter 27

Background Siam was namedThailand in 1939.

Vocabulary Filipino: an inhabitantof the PhilippineIslands

The progressiveSiamese KingMongkut ruled from 1851 to 1868.During his reign he modernized hisland and preventedthe British andFrench from taking over.

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2. TAKING NOTES

Re-create on your paper thespider map below. In each circle,identify a Western power and theareas it controlled.

3. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

How did the reforms of theSiamese kings maintain Siam’sindependence?

THINK ABOUT• what was happening to Siam’s

neighbors• the results of the changes

4. THEME ACTIVITY

Empire Building Compose aseries of letters to the editorexpressing different views on theoverthrow of the Hawaiian queen.Include both the Hawaiian andAmerican views on this event.

1. TERMS & NAMES

Identify• Pacific Rim• King Mongkut • Emilio Aguinaldo• annexation• Queen Liliuokalani

Section Assessment5


economically. As with other Southeast Asian areas, businessmenencouraged growing cash crops such as sugar at the expense of basicfood crops.

Hawaii Becomes a Republic U.S. interest in Hawaii began aroundthe 1790s when Hawaii was a port on the way to China and East India.Beginning about the 1820s, sugar trade began to change the Hawaiianeconomy. Americans established sugar-cane plantations and became sosuccessful that they imported laborers from China, Japan, andPortugal. By the mid-19th century, American sugar plantationsaccounted for 75 percent of Hawaii’s wealth. At the same time,American sugar planters also gained great political power in Hawaii.

Then in 1890, the McKinley Tariff Act passed by the U.S. govern-ment set off a crisis in the islands. The act eliminated the tariffs onall sugar entering the United States. Now, sugar from Hawaii was nolonger cheaper than sugar produced elsewhere. That change cut intothe sugar producers’ profits. Some U.S. business leaders pushed forannexation of Hawaii, or the adding of the territory to the UnitedStates. Making Hawaii a part of the United States meant thatHawaiian sugar could be sold for greater profits because Americanproducers got an extra two cents a pound from the U.S. government.

About the same time, the new Hawaiian ruler, Queen Liliuo-kalani (luh•lee•uh•oh•kuh•LAH•nee), took the throne. In 1893, shecalled for a new constitution that would increase her power. Itwould also restore the political power of Hawaiians at the expenseof wealthy planters. To prevent this from happening, a group ofAmerican businessmen hatched a plot to overthrow the Hawaiianmonarchy. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was removed from power.

In 1894, Sanford B. Dole, a wealthy plantation owner, was namedpresident of the new Republic of Hawaii. The president of the newrepublic asked the United States to annex it. Acting on the findingsof a commission sent to the islands, President Cleveland refused.However, about five years later, in 1898, the Republic of Hawaii wasannexed by the United States.

The period of imperialism was a time of great power and domina-tion of others by mostly European powers. As the 19th century closed, the lands of theworld were all claimed. The European powers now faced each other with competingclaims. Their battles with each other would become the focus of the 20th century.

BackgroundPresident McKinley,who had strong impe-rialist feelings, cameto office in 1897 andencouraged annexa-tion of Hawaii.

Queen Liliuokalani1838–1917

Liliuokalani was Hawaii’s onlyqueen and the last monarch ofHawaii. At the death of heryounger brother, she became nextin line for the throne. In 1891, shetook that throne after the death ofher older brother.

Liliuokalani bitterly regrettedher brother’s loss of power toAmerican planters. She worked toregain power for the Hawaiianmonarchy. As queen she refused torenew a treaty signed by herbrother that would have givencommercial privileges to foreignbusinessmen. It was a decisionthat would cost her the crown.

In 1895, she was forced to giveup power. However, she continuedto oppose the annexation of Hawaiiby the United States as a part of theOni pa’a (Stand Firm) movement.

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Western powers inSoutheast Asia

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27Chapter Assessment

The New Imperialism, 1850–1914

TERMS & NAMESBriefly explain the importance of each of the followingto the imperialism of 1850–1914.

1. imperialism

2. racism

3. Berlin Conference1884–1885

4. paternalism

5. Menelik II

6. geopolitics

7. Suez Canal

8. “jewel in the crown”

9. Raj

10. Queen Liliuokalani

Visual Summary

710 Chapter 27

Colonization

Colonial Economics

Christianization

Nationalism

Economic Competition

Missionary Spirit

IM

PERIALISM

To gain power, Europeannations compete forcolonies and trade.

Demand for raw materialsand new markets spurs asearch for colonies.

Europeans believe theymust spread their Christianteachings to the world.

Europeans control land andpeople in areas of Africa, Asia,and Latin America.

Europeans control trade in thecolonies and set up dependentcash-crop economies.

Christianity is spread to Africa,India, and Asia.

Europeans exerted influence over the economic, political,

and social lives of people they colonized.

EFFECTSCAUSES

Interact with History

Make a chart showing the advan-tages and disadvantages to a localperson living in a place thatbecame a European colony. Nextmake a similar chart for a Europeanliving in a foreign place. How dothey compare? Discuss with mem-bers of your class a way to decidewhether the advantages outweighthe disadvantages for each group.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

SECTION 1 (pages 685–689)

Imperialists Divide Africa 11. What motives caused the nations of Europe to engage in imperialist

activities?

12. What effect did the Boer War have on Africans?


Patterns of Change: ImperialismCase Study: Nigeria13. What are the forms of imperial rule?

14. How did Ethiopia resist European rule so successfully?


Muslim Lands Fall to Imperialist Demands15. Why did the European nations have an interest in controlling the

Muslim lands?

16. What methods did the Muslim leaders use to try to prevent Europeanimperialism?


British Imperialism in India17. How was the economy of India transformed by the British?

18. What caused the Sepoy Mutiny?


Western Powers Rule Southeast Asia19. How did Siam manage to remain independent when others countries in

the area were colonized?

20. Describe the attitudes held by Americans about colonizing other lands.

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CHAPTER ACTIVITIES1. LIVING HISTORY: Unit Portfolio Project

Your unit portfolio project focuses on empire-building in lands around the globe by Western powers during the late 1800sand early 1900s (see page 629). For Chapter 27, you might use one of thefollowing ideas.

• Imagine that it is 1899 and you are hosting a debate on the United Statestakeover of the Philippine Islands. Your guests will be William McKinley andEmilio Aguinaldo. Prepare a script that includes at least five questions youwill ask each of them and their possible responses.

• Write a series of diary entries or a poem from the point of view of a personin a land colonized by Europeans. Write a brief opening describing whereyou live and from what country the colonizers have come.

Using the Internet, magazines, and books, collect at least four articlesor illustrations with references to remaining imperialist influence in

the countries discussed in this chapter. For example, you might find aManila street with an American name or a picture of a French store inHanoi. Mount the materials on a page and write a paragraph at thebottom that explains the imperialist connection.

2. CONNECT TO TODAY: Cooperative Learning

Problems that still plague Africa today oftenhave their roots in imperialism. Divide into small groups and choose one of thefollowing countries: Somalia, Republic of South Africa, Angola, DemocraticRepublic of Congo (Zaire), Nigeria, or Chad. Prepare a report on the history ofthe colony, including how imperialism has continued to affect life there.

3. INTERPRETING A TIME LINE

Revisit the unit time line on pages 628–629. Look at the Chapter 27 section.Name two events that occurred in Europe between 1850 and 1914 thatdemonstrated the growth of nationalism, which was one of the forcesdriving imperialism.

CRITICAL THINKING1. SUEZ CANAL

Why did the British view the SuezCanal as the lifeline of their empire?

2. RESISTANCE TO IMPERIALISM

Re-create on your paper the diagram below. For eachgeographic area, tell how the local people resistedthe demands of the Europeans.

3. ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM ONCOLONIES

How did imperialism alter the economic life of thelands Europeans colonized?

4. ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES

The following quotation is from Kwaku Dua III, kingof the Asante people. He was being pressured by theBritish government to allow his kingdom to become aprotectorate of Britain. Read the quotation andanswer the questions below it.

A V O I C E F R O M T H E P A S TThe suggestion that Ashanti [Asante] in itspresent state should come and enjoy the pro-tection of Her Majesty the Queen andEmpress of India, I may say this is a matter ofserious consideration, and which I am happyto say we have arrived at the conclusion, thatmy kingdom of Ashanti will never commititself to any such conclusion, that Ashantimust remain independent as of old, at thesame time to remain friendly with all whitemen. I do not write this with a boastful spirit,but in the clear sense of its meaning. Ashantiis an independent kingdom.KWAKU DUA III to Frederic M. Hodgson, December 27, 1889

• Briefly, what is Kwaku Dua III’s answer to thequeen?

• Why do you think Kwaku Dua III responded thathe wanted to remain friendly to white men?

• What aspects of the response would lead you tobelieve that Kwaku Dua III did not feel inferior tothe Queen of England?

FOCUS ON GEOGRAPHY

Where the Sun Never Set“The sun never sets on the British Empire” was a saying about theBritish Empire at the peak of its power.

• From the map below, can you guess what this saying means?

• Which British colony is also a continent?

Connect to HistoryExplain how such a small nation as Britain could gain such a large empire.

THEME EMPIRE BUILDING

THEME POWER AND AUTHORITY

THEME ECONOMICS

Africa Muslim India Southeast

Lands Asia

NORTH

AMERICA

SOUTH

AMERICA

AFRICA

EUROPE

ASIA

AUSTRALIA

ATLANTICOCEAN

INDIANOCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN PACIFIC

OCEAN

40°N

40°S

0°

80°N

160°E

120°E

80°E

40°E

40°W

80°W

120°W

160°W 0°

0

0

4,000 Miles

8,000 Kilometers British EmpireCLASSZONE .COMTEST PRACTICEAdditional Test Practice,

pp. S1–S33

710-711-0627ca 10/11/02 4:42 PM Page 711

http://www.classzone.com/books/wh_sh/oltp_map_select.cfm

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The Age of Imperialism, Philippines? 3. ... 684 Chapter 27 Railroads will bring the products grown or mined to ... • imperialism The Age of Imperialism