Imperialism: Motives and Definitions

• Here are a detailed set of study notes on Imperialism, based on the provided questions and answers.

Imperialism Definition

• Imperialism is when one country forcibly takes over and governs another from a distance.

Motives for Imperialism

• Political motives spurred countries to compete for land, driven by nationalism.
• Religious motives included the desire to spread Christianity through missionaries.
• Ideological motives were rooted in Social Darwinism.
• Economic motives involved gaining wealth through natural resources.
• Exploratory motives were driven by the desire to discover new places.

Missionary Definition

• A missionary is someone who attempts to convert others to their religion.

Social Darwinism Definition

• Social Darwinism refers to the belief that white people are a superior race, and other races are inferior.

Nationalism Definition

• Nationalism is pride in one's country.

Natural Resources

• A natural resource is a useful material found in nature.
• Examples of natural resources include: gold, silver, cotton, diamonds, and oil.

"White Man's Burden" Definition

• "White Man's Burden" defined as the idea that European countries had a duty to help/industrialize other countries around the world.

Languages in Africa

• Over 1000 languages were spoken in Africa prior to imperialism.

"Scramble for Africa" and the Berlin Conference

• The "Scramble for Africa" was the rush of European countries to claim as much land in Africa as possible.
• The Berlin Conference was a meeting where they decided how to divide Africa.

Cecil Rhodes

• Cecil Rhodes British business owner who opened diamond and gold mines in Africa.
• He helped Britain claim more land in Africa.

David Livingstone

• David Livingstone was a missionary who wrote about his experiences in Africa.
• He motivated others to make the journey.

China's Disinterest in Trade

• China was self-sufficient and did not feel they needed European goods or supplies.

Opium Wars

• Britain wanted China to open its doors for trade, but China refused.
• The British smuggled opium into China, leading to widespread addiction.
• This then leading to the Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanjing.

Consequences of the Treaty of Nanjing

• Britain gained Hong Kong.
• Some ports were opened to trade.
• China had to pay Britain for the Opium War.

Sphere of Influence

• A sphere of influence exists when a country has a large influence on a region.
• This includes control through trade and manipulation, even without formal imperialism.

Boxer Rebellion

• The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-imperialist, anti-foreign, anti-Christian rebellion in China.
• The goal was to eliminate all foreign influence.

Japan Opening to Trade

• Matthew Perry (from the USA) opened Japan to trade by threatening them with war.

End of Tokugawa Shogunate

• Japan's new open door trade policy ended the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Meiji Restoration

• The Meiji Restoration included the restoration of Imperial Rule, where the emperor regained power.
• It included Westernization, educational reforms, industrialization, and military modernization.
• It also led to imperialism of parts of China/Korea.

Wars Demonstrating Japan's Military Dominance

• The Sino-Japanese War
• The Russo-Japanese War

Japan's Imperialism

• Japan imperialized Korea.

Control of India Before the British

• The British East India Company controlled India before the British government.

India's Nickname

• India's nickname under British imperialism was "Brightest Jewel in the Crown".

Reason for India's Nickname

• It earned this nickname because it produced valuable natural resources.

Sepoy Mutiny

• The Sepoy Mutiny was a rebellion by Indian soldiers (sepoys).
• The sepoys rebelled because of a rumor that their guns were greased with pork/beef fat.
• This was against their religions (Islam and Hinduism).

British Response to the Sepoy Mutiny

• After the Sepoy Mutiny, the British government took direct control of India from the British East India Company.

The Raj

• The Raj was the British government in India.
• It ruled from after the Sepoy Mutiny until Indian Independence in 1947.

Mahatma Gandhi

• Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer who fought for Indian independence from Britain.

Satyagraha

• Satyagraha is a form of nonviolent protest.

Salt March

• Gandhi led a peaceful 240-mile march to the Indian Ocean to protest the tax on salt.
• The march resulted in the arrest of 60,000 people, including Gandhi.

Partition

• The partition occurred when India was split into two countries based on religion.
• India was for the Hindu population, and Pakistan was for the Muslim population.

Types of Resistance Movements

• Direct Resistance
• New State Formation
• Religious Movements

Old Imperialism

• Old Imperialism occurred from 1492-1750 in the Americas.

New Imperialism

• New Imperialism occurred from 1750-1950 in Africa and Asia.