Week 10 Flashcards
What time period is referred to as New Imperialism?
1870-1914
What were the main economic motives driving European expansion into Africa and Asia?
Colonies provided raw materials (rubber, cotton, minerals) for industrial powers
What was the Berlin Conference (1884-85) known for?
Formalized the ‘Scramble for Africa,’ dividing the continent among European powers
What is quinine used for?
Treatment and prevention of malaria
Who isolated quinine in 1820?
Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou
Fill in the blank: The biggest killer among European soldiers in Africa was _______.
malaria
What was the Great International Exhibition in London (1851) known for?
Featured 13,000 exhibits from around the world, including industrial and commercial displays
True or False: The 19th century is considered the Golden Age of Industrial Exhibitions.
True
What was the impact of cash crop economies introduced by European powers?
Often at the expense of local food production
What were some examples of infrastructure and methods of control used during New Imperialism?
- River steamer
- Bridges
- Roads
- Tunnels
- Irrigation systems
- Harbours
- Canals
- Telegraph lines
- Submarine cables
What were the major diseases that affected European soldiers in Sierra Leone?
- Dysentery
- Yellow fever
- Typhoid
- Malaria
What notable expedition did Mungo Park undertake?
Expedition to the upper Niger
What was the outcome of William Bolt’s expedition at Delagoa Bay?
Cost the life of 132 out of 152 participants
What were the primary raw materials extracted from Africa during New Imperialism?
- Diamonds
- Gold
- Rubber
Fill in the blank: The De Beers Consolidated Mines Company focused on the extraction of _______.
diamonds
What was the significance of the King of Belgium in relation to rubber during New Imperialism?
He played a key role in the exploitation of rubber resources
What role did science play during the Great Exhibition?
Served as entertainment and a tourist attraction
What were the ideological motives behind New Imperialism?
- Social Darwinism
- ‘Civilizing mission’
What was the impact of the introduction of quinine in the 1830s?
First experiments in Algeria helped combat malaria
What type of displays were included in the Great Exhibition?
Exotic displays from the British Empire
What was a major consequence of the rapid European expansion into Africa and Asia?
Direct control over colonies
What geographical discoveries were made during the age of exploration in the 19th century?
Explorations of the Arctic and Africa
Who is known for the classification system in ‘Systema Naturae’?
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
Linnaeus is considered the father of modern taxonomy.
What was the project of Carolus Linnaeus?
To name and classify all known species (about 4400 species)
This project exemplified the age of Enlightenment.
What term did Carolus Linnaeus introduce?
Mammalia
This term is used to classify mammals.
What significant concept did Edward Tyson (1699) highlight?
Great affinities between the anatomy of humans and chimpanzees.
What is catastrophism?
The theory that species do not mutate into one another and are fixed, with extinctions occurring through global revolutions.
Which theory did Charles Lyell advocate for?
Uniformitarianism
This theory states that the same processes observed now occurred in the past.
What was the title of Charles Darwin’s pivotal work published in 1859?
The Origins of Species.
What is natural selection?
The driving force of evolution where species evolve through small random variations passed on to younger generations.
What did Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck propose about species?
Life evolves from simple to complex through the action of the environment and spontaneous generation.
What was Georges Cuvier’s main argument regarding species?
Species are fixed and do not mutate into one another.
What did the discovery of fossils challenge?
Traditional views on Earth’s history.
What is linear transformism according to Lamarck?
Life evolves from simple to complex forms.
What was a key criticism of Darwin’s theories?
Lack of clear empirical evidence linking variation with species formation.
What does social Darwinism refer to?
The application of biological principles to social policies, justifying competition and imperialism.
Who is associated with the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’?
Herbert Spencer.
Fill in the blank: Carolus Linnaeus introduced the term __________.
mammalia.
True or False: Charles Darwin believed that species could evolve through random variations.
True.
What was Comte De Buffon’s contribution to natural history?
Histoire Naturelle, a naturalistic and genetic history of the cosmos, the earth, and life.
What did Darwin observe during his voyage on the HMS Beagle?
Evidence of change with different traits in different niches.
What was one of the social implications of social Darwinism?
Justifications for capitalism and arguments against a welfare state.
What did the fossil discoveries capture the imagination of?
Both scientists and the general public.
What did William Smith contribute to geology?
Stratigraphy, showing that different fossils appeared in specific layers.
What is the main focus of paleontology?
The study of fossils and prehistoric life.
What did the discoveries of large prehistoric creatures challenge?
Traditional views on the permanence and age of species.
What was the significance of the 1778 edition of Buffon’s work?
It proposed that the planet has gone through 6 epochs.
What was the significance of the 1851 Great Exhibition in London?
It showcased 13,000 exhibits from around the world, including industrial and commercial displays, with exotic items from the British Empire. It promoted Britain’s industrial power and served as a state propaganda tool.
What was the ‘Golden Age of Industrial Exhibitions’?
The 19th century, when industrial exhibitions became popular for educating the public and showcasing technological advancements, with the 1851 Great Exhibition being a key example.
What were some notable dangers of European exploration in Africa in the 19th century?
Explorers faced deadly diseases such as malaria, dysentery, yellow fever, and typhoid, which caused massive casualties.
What happened during William Bolt’s 1777-1779 expedition to Delagoa Bay?
The expedition resulted in the death of 132 out of 152 participants, largely due to diseases.
What was the outcome of Mungo Park’s 1805 expedition to the upper Niger?
Out of 39 explorers, only 11 survived, and the entire group perished on the return journey.
How did malaria impact European expeditions to Africa?
Malaria was the leading cause of death among European explorers, contributing to the high mortality rates.
Who isolated quinine and what was its significance?
Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou isolated quinine in 1820, making it a crucial treatment for preventing malaria during exploration.
When was quinine commercialized and where were its first experiments conducted?
Quinine was commercialized by 1827, and the first experiments were conducted in Algeria in 1830.
What were the economic motivations for European imperialism in Africa?
Colonies provided raw materials like rubber, cotton, and minerals for European industries and created cash crop economies, often disrupting local food production.
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference (1884-85)?
The Berlin Conference formalized the ‘Scramble for Africa,’ dividing the continent among European powers and establishing territorial claims.
How did Social Darwinism justify European imperialism?
It promoted the idea of racial superiority, claiming that Europeans had a duty to ‘civilize’ non-European societies, which justified imperial expansion.
What technological advancements aided European control over African colonies?
Advances in weaponry, infrastructure (like river steamers, roads, bridges, and telegraphs), and medical technologies (like quinine) facilitated European dominance.
What role did the discovery of diamonds and gold play in imperialism?
The discovery of valuable resources like diamonds and gold in South Africa fueled European interest and led to economic exploitation through companies like De Beers.
Who was David Johnston and what did he contribute to natural history?
David Johnston was an explorer who discovered the Okapi (Equus johnstoni) in 1858, expanding knowledge of African wildlife.
How did King Leopold II of Belgium exploit the Congo?
King Leopold II controlled the Congo Free State, exploiting its rubber resources through forced labor, leading to severe human rights abuses and mass deaths among the indigenous population.
What technological development spurred the demand for rubber during imperialism?
The invention of pneumatic tires increased the demand for rubber, further exploiting African colonies for their natural resources.
Who developed the system of classification called Systema Naturae?
Carolus Linnaeus.
What was the main goal of Carolus Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae?
To classify and name all known species, focusing on the present rather than evolutionary history.
What did Linnaeus introduce in his classification system?
The term ‘mammalia’ and the concept of modern zoological nomenclature.
What did Edward Tyson’s work in 1699 reveal?
He found great affinities between the anatomy of humans and chimpanzees.
What was the significance of fossil discoveries during the 19th century?
They challenged traditional views on Earth’s history, particularly the concepts of species’ origin and extinction.
Who was Comte de Buffon, and what was his contribution to natural history?
Buffon was a naturalist who proposed that species could evolve over time and that Earth was much older than previously thought.
What theory did Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck propose?
The theory of linear transformism, suggesting that life evolves from simple to complex forms due to environmental changes.
What is spontaneous generation, as proposed by Lamarck?
The idea that simple forms of life could arise from non-living matter under the influence of heat, light, and moisture.
What was Georges Cuvier’s view on species change?
Cuvier believed in catastrophism, arguing that species went extinct due to catastrophic events, not gradual change.
What was the main difference between catastrophism and uniformitarianism?
Catastrophism proposed that extinction occurred due to sudden events, while uniformitarianism suggested that the same gradual processes observed today also operated in the past.
How did Charles Lyell contribute to the debate on Earth’s history?
Lyell’s work Principles of Geology argued for uniformitarianism, proposing that slow, gradual processes shaped the Earth and contributed to species changes over time.
What was the significance of William Smith’s work on stratigraphy?
He demonstrated that different fossils appeared in specific layers of rock, showing the progression of species over time.
What key observations did Charles Darwin make during his voyage on the HMS Beagle?
Darwin observed variations in species across different environments, leading him to question how species changed over time.
What is natural selection, as proposed by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species (1859)?
Natural selection is the process where species evolve through small variations passed to offspring, and those best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce.
What were the two main categories of objections to Darwin’s theory?
Spiritual/Philosophical objections (Natural Theology and argument from design) and Scientific/Empirical objections (lack of empirical evidence and understanding of inheritance).
Who coined the term ‘survival of the fittest’ and what did it mean?
Herbert Spencer. It applied Darwin’s principle of competition to society, suggesting that the strongest individuals or groups would naturally rise to the top.
What is social Darwinism, and how was it misused?
Social Darwinism applied Darwin’s ideas to human society, justifying imperialism, capitalism, and racist policies by claiming that competition between races or nations would naturally determine superiority.
What was the idea behind eugenics as promoted by social Darwinists?
Eugenics advocated for controlling reproduction to encourage the ‘fit’ to reproduce and limit the reproduction of the ‘unfit’ members of society.
