32- Imperialism

Question 1

Cecil Rhodes

Answer 1

European gold and diamond magnate, worked on behalf of British imperialism

Question 2

Imperialism

Answer 2

The domination of western powers over subject lands in the larger world. Came by force, trade investment, and business.

Question 3

White Man’s Burden

Answer 3

Rudyard Kipling poem, encouraged US to impose colonial rule in the Philippines. Considered it a duty to bring civilization to subject peoples. Speaks of famine, pride, and profit.

Question 4

Battle of Omdurman

Answer 4

1898, British-Sudanese conflict near Nile river. Overwhelming British victory, huge death toll difference w/ machine guns and gunboats. Led to British colonial rule

Question 5

How were European colonies shaped by imperial powers?

Answer 5

Europeans controlled domestic and foreign policies, integrated the local economy into the global network, introduced European business, schools, culture.

Question 6

Economic motives of Imperialism

Answer 6

Supply natural resources not available in Europe. Also could provide a consumer market and space for migrants.

Question 7

Political motives of Imperialism

Answer 7

Colonies had strategic sea locations, mil. and ec. advantage. Imperialism inspired patriotism, shifted nat’l attention from social tension

Question 8

Cultural justifications for Imperialism

Answer 8

Missionaries sought religious converts, defended their interests against entrepreneurs, carried comm. between lands. Invoked white man’s burden to bring order and enlightenment.

Question 9

How did new transportation technology aid imperialism?

Answer 9

Steam engine in ironclad ships w/ powerful guns-Speed, direction advantage (Yangzi). Suez and Panama canals; railroads organized local economies & lowered costs.

Question 10

How did new communications advances aid imperialism?

Answer 10

Steamships carried messages quickly; telegraph lines connected empires - allowed rulers and merchants to respond to troubles, economic events

Question 11

East India Company

Answer 11

English trading company, responsible for conquest of India, had gov’t permission to build trading posts. Annexed kingdoms during Mughal decline (diplomacy or military), used “doctrine of lapse.”

Question 12

The Great Game

Answer 12

Russian and British adventurers explored central Asia (political vacuum). Made alliances to prep. for India war (never happened-WWI). Soviet union then filled C. Asia.

Question 13

Dutch East Indies

Answer 13

SE Asian archipelago (modern Indonesia). Had cash crops (sugar, tea, coffee, tobacco). Valuable and productive Dutch colony.

Question 14

Sepoy Mutiny

Answer 14

Indian Sepoy soldiers heard a rumour they would use bullets coated with pig and cow fat. British imposition of rule, harsh treatment, social reforms, and overall disruption led to anti-British rebellion in C and N India. British forces from Atlantic stepped in, regained control.

Question 15

How did the terms of British colonial rule in India change in 1858?

Answer 15

British ended Mughal empire. Abolished EIC rule for direct crown rule. New domestic and foreign policy. Restructured landholdings and encouraged cash crops. Built railroads, telegraphs, canals, irrigation, English schools. Didn’t promote Christianity.

Question 16

Why did Britain strategically colonize Burma and Malaya?

Answer 16

Gave strategic advantage for trade between India, SE Asia, and China. Good merchant and naval port locations. Also supplied ivory, minerals, rubber, and tin.

Question 17

Where did French imperialism take place? How did they rule their subjects compared to the British?

Answer 17

France took modern day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (French Indochina). Established European style schools and made connections with native elites. Encouraged conversion to Christianity.

Question 18

King Leopold and Congo Free State

Answer 18

Belgian king, developed commercial ventures and Congo Free State colony. Established free trade zone, lucrative rubber business-forced labor, abuses.

Question 19

Boers

Answer 19

Dutch for “farmers,” known as Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers in Cape Town. Expanded, employees and settlers encroached upon natives, led to warfare and disease.

Question 20

Great Trek

Answer 20

British took over Cape Town, disrupted Afrikaners (slavery (finance), law, language). Afrikaners migrated east. Conflict with indigenous, successfully expanded. Voortrekkers created independent republics.

Question 21

Boer War

Answer 21

Tensions rose during influx of British miners. Large toll on black African soldiers for both sides. Afrikaners defeated, British created Union of South Africa w/ territories.

Question 22

How and why did the European presence in Africa dramatically change in the last decades of the 1800s? (Scramble for Africa)

Answer 22

Europe had new information about African geography and rivers from missionaries, explorers. Colonization allowed for exploitation of resources, and fuelled nationalism.

Question 23

What took place at the Berlin conference?

Answer 23

Nations discussed the division of Africa. Set rules for occupation (military conquest or agreement w/ local ruler) and objectives for colonized lands (abolish slave trade, extend civilization, promote Christianity, promote commerce)

Question 24

Battle of Adwa

Answer 24

Italy entered Ethiopia, anticipated an easy victory w/ European weapons and previous victories. Faced defeat by Ethiopian army

Question 25

Benefits and drawbacks to “concessionary companies” for European governments?

Answer 25

Granted large companies territories, allowed them to undertake economic activities-mining, agriculture, railroads-labor, taxation.
Benefits: Allowed for colonization and exploitation w/ small investment.
Drawbacks: Forced labor provoked outcry in Europe. profits were smaller than expected, and the gov’t eventually took control themselves.

Question 26

Direct rule

Answer 26

Administrative districts administered by Europeans. Cut across ethnic groups, removed strong kings-allowed Europe to civilize Africans. Constant shortage of Europeans, slow communication between officials. Had limited understanding of local customs. Used by France.

Question 27

Indirect rule

Answer 27

Allowed natives to (think they could) retain control while under European influence. Used existing indigenous states. Made erroneous assumptions about rigid tribal categories. Used by Britain

Question 28

New Zealand Wars

Answer 28

War between Maori in New Zealand and British over land. Maori opposed British attempts to take land/sovereignty. Ended w/ European settlements and poor rural Maori areas.

Question 29

How was what transpired to the indigenous people of Australia and New Zealand similar to what happened to Native Americans?

Answer 29

Migration because of gold and arable land brought smallpox and measles. The population fell by 80-90%. Indigenous were displaced, led to violence.

Question 30

How was the imperialist approach to the Pacific islands different at first, and what changed?

Answer 30

Whalers, merchants, and missionaries were the principal visitors. Europe established colonial rule w/ coaling stations and ports. Islands also had sugarcane plantations, coconut supplies, and nickel.

Question 31

Monroe doctrine

Answer 31

Proclamation warning European states against any imperialist plans in the western hemisphere. U.S. set up a free trade zone and controlled hemispheric affairs.

Question 32

How did America expand in the late 1800s?

Answer 32

Purchased Alaska from Russia, took over Hawaii. Took Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Haiti to protect business interests.

Question 33

Spanish-Cuban-American War

Answer 33

Cuba and puerto Rico revolted against Spanish rule, Maine exploded in Havana harbour. U.S. declared war against Spain to protect investments, won easily. Took control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines.

Question 34

Aguinaldo

Answer 34

Filipinos revolted against Spanish rule. U.S. promised to support independence in exchange for an alliance against Spain. Instead, U.S. bought Philippines from Spain to protect business and military interests. Aguinaldo fought American forces, suffered a defeating loss.

Question 35

Roosevelt Corollary

Answer 35

Declaration issued by Roosevelt, exerted the U.S. right to intervene in the domestic affairs of nations in the western hemisphere to protect U.S. investments and interests.

Question 36

How did the U.S. come to control the Panama canal zone?

Answer 36

U.S. supported a Panamanian rebellion against Colombia because they wouldn’t cede the isthmus of Panama. U.S. helped establish the Panama state, and was given control over the canal zone in return.

Question 37

Sino-Japanese war

Answer 37

Anti-foreign rebellion in Korea prompted Qing intervention. Meiji intervened because of business interests (unequal treaty w/ Korea), and demolished Chinese army. Japan took Korea, and forced China to sign unequal treaties.

Question 38

Russo-Japanese war

Answer 38

Russia resented rise of Japan. Had territorial ambitions in Laidong, Korea, and Manchuria. Japan strengthened army, destroyed Russia. Russia gave railroad, recognized Japanese territories. Validated Japan as a major imperial power.

Question 39

Tea

Answer 39

Introduced by British to India and Ceylon. Converted forests to plantations, recruited labor, exported all to Britain.

Question 40

How was cotton production transformed in India?

Answer 40

Production reoriented to serve the needs of colonial Britain, not local economies. Railroads exported it to mechanized factories in Britain. Flooded Africa with cheap textiles. Increased value.

Question 41

Why was there a huge surge in indentured servants? From where did they originate and where did they go?

Answer 41

Indentured laborers replaced slaves. Came from Africa, India, Asia, and the Pacific; went to Americas, Caribbean, and Oceania. Cultivated rubber, sugar, worked in mines.

Question 42

What issues caused colonized peoples to rebel?

Answer 42

Rebelled against foreign rule, tyrannical and oppressive behaviour, introduction of European schools, high taxation, and conscripted labor.

Question 43

Aside from violence, what were other ways colonized peoples rebelled?

Answer 43

Rebelled in nonviolent ways because they could not match foreign weaponry. Boycotted European goods, organized political parties, published anti colonial newspapers, pursued anti colonial policies through religion and church groups.

Question 44

Maji Maji rebellion

Answer 44

Prophet-led Tanzanian rebellion against German colonial rule, believed Maji Maji water made them bulletproof.

Question 45

How did scientific racism help to underpin imperialism?

Answer 45

Justified imperialism by proving the nobility and intelligence of Europeans using color, bone structure, and brain capacity.

Question 46

Gobineau

Answer 46

Theorist on race, took race as the most important index of human potential. Articulated 4 main racial groups, characterized as intelligent, smart, lazy, noble, etc based on color and bone structure.

Question 47

Social Darwinism and Spencer

Answer 47

Applied “Darwin’s survival of the fittest” theory to explain the difference between the strong and weak. Successful races evolved to higher states than less successful. Believed domination was inevitable result of scientific principles.

Question 48

Who led reform movements in India?

Answer 48

Ram Mahan Roy; influential Indian elite helped forge national identity. Argued for a society based on European science and traditional Hinduism. Social reform-Improved status of women, but upheld Vedas and Upanishads. Inspired by Enlightenment, called for self government.

Question 49

Indian National Congress

Answer 49

Most important Indian reform group, forum for educated Indians to communicated opinions to colonial officials. Grievances about poverty, drought, famine, and racism. Joined forces w/ All-India Muslim League to seek self-rule. Nationalism, independence became a mass movement