2.6 Impact of Colonialism Flashcards
Colony definition
territory tied to a sovereign state
- No foreign policy, military
- Sometimes internal affairs
colonialism
Colonialism: a state imposes political, economic, cultural systems on another territory
- May encourage settlement
motives for colonialism
Nationalism, economic or cultural
God, gold and glory
- Missionaries spreading Christianity
- Resources for European economies
- More colonies = more powerful state
Why were Europeans the colonizers in the 1400s?
-Doctrine of discovery was a free pass for them to take over
-Wanted land (cities with seaports), resources, trade, get riches
-Location:
-european trading cities oriented to the sea
-west African trading cities oriented inland
-east Africa, China and India farther away from Americas
-trade winds favoured Europe
portuguese colonialism
Earliest explorers in Africa
Policy if trade, not settlement
-gold as part of mercantilism
-diseases harmful to Europeans
Developed slavery system in late 1400s
-labourers as commodities to be used up
-linking status and humanity with colour
spanish colonialism
-More interested in settlement
-Europeans brought diseases
-Settlers brought plants, animals
-Slaves imported for plantations
-Distinctive urban landscapes
-More mixing of cultures
-Treaty of Tordesillas with Portugal (Portugal got Africa + East Indies & Spain got Americas, minus Brazil)
French colonialism
More gradual approach to Americas
Settlement/trade major motivations
-Catholic/Protestant conflicts at home
-traded beaver; no gold or silver
More equal interactions with Natives (partnered tg to get rid of British)
-fewer settlers
-less penetration inland
english colonialism
Still different political situation
-slower rise as maritime power (water)
-colonial experience gained in Ireland
Focus on settlement
More hostile towards natives
First wave: impacts at home
Portugal and Spain:
-colonies as resource-based economies
France:
-battles with England shifted to colonies
-less settlement, less impact
Great Britain:
-learned from others, rose to greatest prominence
First wave: independence
Number of colonies began to decrease in 1776
Led to French Revolution and European unrest
Led to wars of revolution in Latin America (from 1801 in Haiti to 1825 in Bolivia)
Abolition of slave trade, then slavery (from 1807/1833 in Britain to 1819/1863 in U.S.)
Second wave: 1885-1900
Europe needed new markets
Surplus population
Increased nationalism
Geographical expeditions to Africa promised resources, markets
Second wave: Africa
1885 Europe began carving up Africa
Establishing trade, obtaining resources
“Humanitarian” mission
Increased political prestige
Arbitrary straight lines on the map
-cultural groups divided
-minorities preferred as collaborators
British adjusted their governance by place
French tried to import their French culture
Second wave: Middle East
WW1: Ottoman Empire joined Germany
Britain captured Iraq; received local support with promise for self-rule
Ottoman territory carved into “mandates”
Nationalist uprisings against British, French
Independence in the 1930s; military remained
Second wave: 1885-1900
Impact of WW2: Germany, Italy, Japan lost colonial blocs
US (superpower) exchanged aid for trade access
Start of Cold War
From 134 colonies in 1950 to 58 in 1961
Second wave: Independence
Some peaceful transitions:
-britain worked with nationalist leaders
-france more neocolonial; fought and lost in Vietnam and Algeria
-belgium simply left Zaire; fierce fighting
From 1943-1990, 98 “new” states
Two paths to development
State ownership or protection (India)
-not favoured by US, Europe
Free Market
-prone to corruption
-economic colonialism
