Imperialism in the 19th and early 20th Centuries

Chapter 26
Introduction
A great period of western expansion occurred between 1880 and 1914. European nations scrambled for political and economic control in both Africa and Asia.

In Africa in 1878, European countries had a colonial presence in some of the coastal regions, but had not ventured into the interior. By 1900, almost the entire continent was divided up among the European nations. The Europeans used their superior technology to subdue the African people, as evident in Britain's taking of the Sudan and the Battle of Omdurman, in which 11,000 Muslim tribesman were killed, compared to 28 British soldiers. In some instances, the conquered Africans were placed in near slave-like conditions, as in the Belgian King Leopold's Congo, where they were forced to collect so much rubber or have their hands and feet cut off. Only Liberia and Ethiopia remained independent African states.


In Asia, nations desired to divide China up into Spheres of Influence, in which individual countries would have economic control. The Open Door Policy of the United States, which stated that China shouldn't be divided up amongst different nations, helped prevent formal colonization. However, increased numbers of foreigners angered some Chinese organizations, leading to the Boxer Rebellion, in which many Christians and foreigners were killed, resulting in an international response.

Japan was opened to the west in 1853 when Commodore Mathew Perry of the United States arrived with "gunboat diplomacy." The Meiji Restoration in 1867 gave political power back to the emperor. The country then went on to create a series of reforms to modernize the nation. Along with that came a strong military force that was able to defeat a western power in the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War.


India was controlled by the British, who turned the area into a direct colony after the attempted Sepoy Rebellion that sought to overthrow the British East India Tea Company in 1857. The British went on to create a series of educational, technological and social reforms in the colony. Their success in the colony along with its great resources helped make it the "jewel in the crown," the best colony that Britain had. The mostly rules by whites, the British did give some higher-class Indians positions of authority.




Unit Objective
This blog aims to show what caused New Imperialism in the nineteenth century and its short and long-term consequences for the world.




Essential Question
Q: What were some of the causes of New Imperialism?


A: As countries in Europe and the United States began placing tariffs on imports to protect their own homeland industries, industrialized nations began looking for new markets, and they looked towards colonies. Colonies, they reasoned, also could give them the resources they needed to feed their expanding industries at home. Increasing connectivity around the globe also caused western nations to look for places for military bases and naval coaling stations, so that they could project their power. Colonies were thus a critical part of national prestige.

The Maxim Gun, the first self-powered
 machine gun, invented in 1884.

Technological improvements also aided New Imperialism. Machine guns and steam ships as well as telegraphs for communication allowed western countries to dominate over other less-advances peoples. Quinine was especially important in Africa as it made malaria, which had long been a barrier for westerners, less of a problem.


There were also social reasons for imperialism. Some people felt it was the "white man's burden" to help less-advanced peoples become more like the superior west. Missionaries wanted to spread Christianity. Social Darwinists believed it was the natural law that stronger nations take over weaker ones while conservative political leaders saw imperialism as a way to encourage nationalism and decrease social tensions at home.


Political Cartoons From the Period



This political cartoon depicts Uncle Sam and John Bull and other national personifications as riding on the backs of people from the different nations they have taken over. The captions reads, "the White Man's Burden." The artist is poking fun at the idea that greater nations are using their colonies to enrich the lives of the native peoples, as Rudyard Kipling had suggested in his poem, "The White Man's Burden." The artist believes that imperial powers are merely using colonies for their own personal gain, thus weighing the people down and, rather than encouraging them, preventing them from becoming greater civilizations. The relative sizes of the people depicted in the cartoon shows how much more powerful Western nations were compared to the ones they took over. I agree with the artist's opinion that western imperialism was largely motivated by a desire to enrich the home country, and that in some areas, such as the Belgian Congo, people were suppressed and treated as slaves, and I think the cartoon depicts this well. However, I also think the comic de-emphasizes some of the improvements imperialism brought to countries, such as education and technology. It may be the opinion of the artist that, as in the case of Ethiopia, it was quite possible for countries to adopt western advances without having to be controlled by the west.

In sharp contrast to the previous cartoon, this one shows people from different nations being weighed down by different injustices, and then transformed into wealthy, well-to-do men. The captions show that this is an image of the native people before and after the U.S. stepped in to free them. It is the opinion of the artist that U.S. imperialism was a good thing that turned oppressed people into successful ones. I find this view to be a little too optimistic. Though we did free the Philippines from Spain, the Filipinos weren't too happy when we took control of their islands. The nature of U.S. imperialism can be argued, but surely not everyone benefited so greatly as is depicted.




US Imperialism Cartoon

This cartoon depicts the U.S. as an aggressive fish trying to devour an unsuspecting smaller fish that represents the world. The artist believes the U.S. is greedy and is using its power to control many different aspects of people's lives across the world. The artist feels the world is being victimized by U.S. policy and economic power. I don't think this is a fair representation of the current state of affairs. The rest of the world is not entirely made up of weak, innocent parties. There are plenty of dictators and dangerous organizations out there that have to be dealt with some how or another. We aren't trying to gobble up countries for ourselves. Rather, we get involved in areas to try and make them what we think would be a better place.


Has the U.S. been imperialistic?

Yes:

We fought the Spanish-American War and received the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico.

The Platt Amendment incorporated in a treaty with Cuba  was America's way if assuring the political and financial stability of the island by 

keeping some measure of control over it.

We established a protectorate in Panama after aiding them in a rebellion against Colombia. We then proceeded to build the Panama Canal that we wanted built there.

No:

We freed the Philippines and Puerto Rico from Spanish Rule. We held onto them to keep Spain from snatching them up again.

In Panama, we were working with the Panamanians to build the largest canal ever attempted. This was for the benefit of the world. It was more of a business partnership than imperialism.

We weren't settling areas like other nations were. We were more interested in defending them and giving ourselves military options for protecting ourselves.

What I think: Whatever the intent may have been, the U.S. was practicing imperialism. We had political influence over other parts of the world, so we were an imperial power.

Two U.S. Events


Moons

In 1877 an amazing discovery was made. Asaph Hall, an American astronomer, was working at the U.S. Navel Observatory, which was a 26-inch refracting telescope. He was searching for any possible moons of Mars. On August 11, he found the object he sought, a small moon that was to be named Deimos. He wanted to confirm his discovery, but unfortunately cloudy conditions kept him from his sky gazing for six days. Finally, he was rewarded. On the next clear night, not only did he confirm Deimos, he discovered another moon, the slightly larger Phobos. 


Meanwhile, in Germany, Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf was pioneering astrophotography, and with it he would discover many asteroids and nebulae.


Parks


The Civil War in America brought economic hardship on the country, and so brought about a new interest in the West and its resources. Lincoln signed into law the Yosemite Valley Grant Act, preserving parts of what is today Yosemite National Park. It was the first law protecting a wilderness area.


In 1871, Ferdinand Hayden went on an expedition to an area known as Yellowstone. He brought back striking photographs of the majestic landscape. In the winter of 1871-1872, congress, excited by Hayden's report, took up the issue of preserving Yellowstone. On March 1, President Grant signed into law the bill that made Yellowstone the nation's first national park. It was the first of its kind in the world.

Other countries across the world were soon doing the same. The first was Australia, which proclaimed on April 26, 1879 Royal National Park, founded by Sir John Robertson.











Uprising in Kenya

Between 1952 and 1956, the Mau Mau Revolution took place in Kenya, then a colony of Britain. The root cause was that many of the Kikuyus ethnic group had been dispossessed of their land and then forced to work for whites. In 1929, the Kikuyu Central Association sent representative Jomo Kenyatta to England to push for self-government, but he was largely ignored.

Kenyatta

Kenyatta became president of the Kenya African Union in 1947 and demanded an end to the injustices of white rule. The British did not respond favorably to these demands. As anger against whites increased, a militaristic organization, Mau Mau, arose. The group was declared illegal, and after the group killed a number of European cattle and executed a chief loyal to the British, a state of emergency was declared and a number of people, including Kenyatta, were arrested, although he denied the claim that he organized the Mau Mau.



The struggle soon intensified as the Mau Mau made attacks on white settlers and the settlers responded defensively. 13,000 people were killed in the conflict. By 1953, the guerrilla fighting force of Mau Mau had largely been defeated by colonial forces.


Although the revolution was not successful in itself, it did pave the way for independence. The British instituted government reforms in the 50s to appease the threat that the Mau Mau had created. In 1957, the British began freeing their African colonies, with independence granted to Kenya in 1963. Kenyatta became the first president.




Current Uprising in Egypt


Anger over President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule in Egypt, a lack of free elections and bad economic and living conditions caused a large number of demonstrators to take to the streets beginning on January 25, 2011. Political corruption was another motivator for the protests.


For a couple of weeks, violence between pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak groups occurred as Mubarak refused to give up his power. Mubarak made promises of political reform, but his speeches did not satisfy the protesters, who continued to show their resentment.


Vice President Suleiman stated that the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces would take control of the country. The government has been given six months to create a constitution a begin free elections.


Spotlight on the Suez Canal

The Suez canal, constructed between 1859 and 1869, is now controlled by Egypt under the Suez Canal Authority. As 80% of the world's trade is on the water, the canal continues to be important to many countries around the world, with 18,193 ships using the canal in 2007. It saves ships distance, time and operating costs.


The canal is also important today for its role in military operations. Two Iranian ships recently used the canal, drawing outrage from Israel. The canal maintains a position of neutrality with the ships that want to pass through. For example, the U.S. has recently ordered two warships to go to the coasts of Libya, and they were also able to make use of the canal on the way. The canal is an important connection between the east and the west that allows the faster transport of goods as well as military forces, which in an unstable area as the Middle East makes it an integral part of current events.


Protests in Egypt have caused some concern as to what effects they may have on the canal, but so far, its usage has remained normal.




Summary


Three things I learned:
1. Quanine was a major reason for the colonization of Africa.
2. The British killed many Africans but suffered few casualties themselves in their invasion of the Sudan.
3. Economic Imperialism in China was opened with the Opium War.


Two things I found interesting:
1. Japan became the first Asian nation to defeat a western nation in 200 years when they beat Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.
2. There were Dutch settlers in South Africa who had conflicts with the British.


One question I still have:
1. How large were nations' colonial populations compared to their population at home?