1. 24.1 Building Overseas Empires

2. LEQ: How did Western nations come to
dominate much of the world in the late
1800s?

3. • imperialism – the domination by one country
of the political, economic, or cultural life of
another country or region
In the late 1800s, Western imperialism
expanded aggressively.
• Imperialism is the domination by one country of
the political, economic, or cultural life of another
country or region.
• Although Europeans had established colonies
earlier, they had previously had little direct
influence over people in China, Africa, or India.

4. The strong,
Encouraged by their
centrally governed
new strength, these
nation-states of
nations embarked
Europe were
on a path of
greatly enriched
expansion—the new
by the Industrial
imperialism.
Revolution.

5. Causes of the “New Imperialism”
• New sources of raw materials
Economic
• New markets to sell goods
needs
• New ventures and enterprises
• Naval refueling bases
Political • Stopping the expansion of rivals
and military
needs • Promoting national security and
prestige

6. • Missionaries, doctors,
Imperialism and colonial officials saw
was also driven it as their duty to spread
by genuine the blessings of Western
humanitarian civilization.
and religious
goals. • These included medicine,
law, and religion.

7. Behind the • Social Darwinists applied
West’s civilizing Darwin’s theory of natural
mission was selection to societies.
also a sense • They saw imperialism as
of racial nature’s way of improving
superiority. the human race.
A result was that many people lost their cultural heritage.

8. National pride
and aggressive
foreign policy
came to be known
as jingoism.
A driving force behind imperialism was the desire
for new markets. This British propaganda poster
boasts that Africa would become a gold mine for
British-made products.

9. Between 1870 and 1914, imperialist nations
gained control over much of the world.
• Leading the way were explorers, missionaries,
soldiers, merchants, and settlers.
• Imperialists found support among all classes of
society, including bankers, manufacturers, and
workers.

10. Western expansion succeeded for
a number of reasons.
Disadvantages • The Ottoman and Chinese
of the civilizations were in decline.
non-Western • The slave trade had damaged
nations African nations.
• They had strong economies and
Advantages well-organized governments.
of the Western • They had superior technology
nations in weapons, communication,
medicine, and transportation.

11. Asians and Some tried Educated
Africans to strengthen Africans and
resisted, but their societies Asians tried
were over- by reforming to form
powered by their Hindu, nationalist
weapons such Muslim, or movements
as the Maxim Confucian to expel the
machine gun. traditions. imperialists.

12. In the West, a small group opposed imperialist
actions.
• Some saw imperialism as a tool of the rich.
• Some felt it was immoral.
• Others saw it as undemocratic. Westerners were
moving toward greater democracy at home, they
noted, but were imposing undemocratic rule on
others.

13. France and Britain ruled with different approaches.
French administrators were sent.
•
France generally
• The goal was to impose French
ruled directly.
culture.
Local rulers were left in charge.
•
• The children of the ruling class
Britain generally
were educated in England.
ruled indirectly.
• The goal was to groom or
“Westernize” future leaders.

14. • protectorate – a region in which a local ruler was left in place but expected
to follow the advice of European advisors on issues such as trade or
missionary activity
• sphere of influence – an area in which an outside power claimed exclusive
investment or trading privileges
Colonial powers used additional methods to rule.
• Local leaders were kept in office.
They often used
• Colonial advisors told them
protectorates.
what to do.
• This method was less costly.
• Colonial powers claimed
Spheres of exclusive right to trade or invest
influence were in a particular area.
carved out. • The goal was to prevent conflict
with other colonial powers.

15. LEQ: How did Western nations come to
dominate much of the world in the late 1800s?
Western scientific, technological, and
economic progress during the Industrial
Revolution strengthened Western armed
forces and allowed Western nations to
dominate much of the world.