Read the summary below:
1) What is one reason that European Powers took over non-western nations?
2) Were all of the Empires European? Give examples...
3) choose one empire to Focus on. Create a PowerPoint Poster that summarizes the impact of that historical empire. Where was it? When was it? Use images from the internet.
Imperialism
occurs when a strong nation takes over a weaker nation or region
and dominates its economic, political, or cultural life.
This type of foreign policy was practiced by European
nations and Japan throughout the 1800s and early 1900s.
In every case, a nation would experience
industrialization
prior to practicing imperialism on a foreign nation or
region. This was due to the nearly insatiable demand for
cheap
raw materials and the need for markets to buy
manufactured goods. (from www.RegentsPrep.org)
European global expansion
had actually begun in the fifteenth century, but the process greatly accelerated
in the nineteenth century.
Latin America and the seaports
of Asia and Africa were the first to be colonized by Europeans. Native
Americans were liquidated or thoroughly subjugated to European rule. Most
Latin American descendents (Latinos) of the Spanish conquerors gained
independence from Spain by the early 19th century, while many indigenous
peoples remained subject.
The African climate, disease
and geography delayed most European colonization until the 19th century,
although the descendents of Dutch settlers, known as Afrikaans or Boers,
came to South Africa as early as the 16th century.
Slavery took a heavy toll
on African development ever since the 16th century. Millions of young people
of working age were taken away. Great conflict ensued.
Asia's population was too
great, its civilization too firmly established for Europeans to rule it
directly. The Europeans did establish control over seaports and trade.
In places like India and Indonesia, Europeans ruled indirectly through
their domination of the local aristocracy.
England was the leading
European colonial power and had already established much of its overseas
empire by the beginning of the 19th century.
France was second, with
its holdings in Southeast Asia and in North Africa, both
of these being established during the 19th
century.
Portugal, Spain and Holland
retained some colonies because they had been
the earliest colonial powers, and still retained
some of them in the 19th century.
Germany and Italy were late
arrivals on the colonial scene because they
had only unified themselves in the 1860's.
The United States became
a colonial power at the end of the 19th century, after having spent the
century moving across the North American continent to the Pacific Ocean.
Defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War led to the establishment of
American colonies in the Caribbean and in the Philippines. The Hawaiian
Islands were conquered at the sametime. (1890's)
Japan was the first Asiatic
nation to become a colonial power. Long isolated and refusing to trade
with Europeans, except for a limited, controlled trade with Holland, the
Japanese were forced to trade by a United States naval squadron in 1845.
Subsequently, the Japanese experienced a political revolution. The new
leadership modernized rapidly
by adopting European technology and organization.
(from Suny Suffolk College)
