How Did 18th Century English Capitalism Lead To The Emergence Of Imperialism

“Despite the view of some historians that the conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies was economic in origin, in fact the American Revolution had its roots in politics and other areas of American life.” Great Britain and the American colonies had a relationship impacted with many hardships. I believe that there was a political struggle between the two groups, but that Great Britain and the American colonies used economics as a chance to show how much control they had. Multiple Acts written by Parliament, the colonies' Committees of Correspondence and Continental Congress created political friction between Great Britain and the American colonies.

The American Revolution paved the way for democratic rule in nations and ignited the spreading thereof throughout the whole world. Yet events that led up the start of the revolution have been mixed in their significance by historians. Both historians, Carl Degler and T.H. Breen agree that the British mercantile system had benefited the colonists, allowing them to have comfortable lifestyles. Madaras L, SoRelle J (2011)

For example, the original thirteen colonies that Britain established on North America’s east coast have gone on to become the world’s main superpower, the United States of America. Britain’s colony in China, Hong Kong, has gone on to become Asia’s premiere financial center with Singapore (another British jewel) trailing just behind. Even Britain’s prisoners set up the only first-world country in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia! Compare this to Spain’s imperial efforts, for example Mexico is the only third world country in North America and has always struggled to overcome a legal system plagued with corruption. Why is it that the British colonies were so successful and the colonies of other countries such failures in comparison? I feel the answer to that is British law. British law has been a keystone in these colonies success. Their political ideals have helped sculpt the success stories of the modern world, albeit there have been some failures such as India and Rhodesia where there were civilians revolting against their new leaders. The British education system helped produce a new class of educated Africans and Asians that were able seek employment once they had completed their schooling.

History, a collection of the past, holds a lot of information about events and society to help inform us in the present as it is the only data

1. The political motivations for English imperialism were made on country that is craving to succeed in power, to increase their land, to have an armed force, to achieve respect by captivating colonies, and increase pride and security countrywide. The Pilgrims left England to North America because they were seeking freedom from religious oppression from King James I. Even though most of them died during the cross over, the few that made it settle very quickly with the help of the Native Americans. These groups of people were very religious and wanted to keep their faith alive. Their leaders in England did not tolerate it so they decide to leave England to a place where can freely express their religion. (U.S History, 2008-2016)

In conclusion, the origins and development of Britain’s North American colonies was sustained by the need to stay in economic power. Bacon’s Rebellion, a high demand for cash crops, and an easy purchase of slaves through trade overall introduced and developed slavery to the Americas all while increasing economic status for England and their

The 19th and 20th century imperialism was substantially about the exploitation of the empires colonies and thus was not a necessarily an ‘civilizing mission’. During the 19th and 20th century European powers tried to justify their actions, by claiming that they were trying to re-educate the native population through education, this included Christian missionaries which were placed throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, it became apparent that these powers gained significant wealth by commercializing items that could not be obtained otherwise. Two key examples of imperialism in the 19th and 20th century includes the Belgium Congo whereby Leopold II gained significant wealth through rubber plantations and the British

Prior to the 19th century imperialism of both Africa and Asia, revolutions and changes of territories led the Europeans to colonize these continents. The industrial revolution was a major impact to new imperialism. This revolution raised Europe’s economy and forced them to find new opportunities to sell the goods they have produced. Also, the change and loss of territories around the world meant a decline of power for Europe, and yet another reason to imperialize. The 19th century imperialism of Africa and Asia was caused by the industrial revolution because of goods, resources, and new markets in their countries. The industrial revolution also influenced imperialism based on the military and technological advances, such as the invention of

England has always been a very powerful country, and when the Virginia Company of London, a group of wealthy investors, offered King James I to fund the voyage to the New World, he gladly agreed. The main goal for establishing the new colonies for England was to spread Protestant Christianity and to convert the indigenous people they encountered. Another objective was to find more resources that could be sent back to England, which would mean more jobs for many of the farmers and others living in poverty. It also meant England would not have to buy goods from other countries which would increase their economy. Rumor had it that the Spanish had discovered gold in that area and the members of the Virginia Company of London hoped to find these

Within the NO portion the author states several things to support that imperialistic rule by Britain was not primarily economic. Industrial Europe required a highly specialized world, in which some areas would produce food for its industrial proletariat, others would produce raw materials for the industrial process, and the entire world would constitute a market for industrial goods. But to achieve this Europe needed to recast the world in its own image, to create the same infrastructures and similar institutions that would permit resources to be exploited and trade conducted (MacKenzie 99). This shows that imperialistic rule by Britain and other European nations was not solely economic but more so a way to gain materials, trade materials, and expand their cultures and receive outside cultural influence through imperialistic rule rather than using imperialistic

Imperialism has been a long standing ideology that is able to withstand the tests of time due to the applicability of the concept. The general definition of Imperialism, as provided by Merriam-Webster, is the practice in which a country furthers its power by the means of control and domination in other regions of the world. This took on a new form as the nineteenth-century approached, as Traditions & Encounters a Global Perspective on the Past elaborated, it mainly pertained to European powers at this time and their control over colonial land and the world of influence. 19th century imperialists had three main foci, these being economic, political, and cultural motifs, these foci dominated the reasons for imperialism in the nineteenth-century and determined how nations would interact with the world and others; these foci would often find conflicts with each other and overlap causing disruption in the goals of the nations involved.

With the increased sense of nationalism, the scramble for imperial holdings served to satisfy the craving for victory. The “us versus them,” mentality that played out over the course of imperialization distracted the common population from ongoing problems at home, thus earning their steadfast approval. Meanwhile, the upper echelons of society experienced gross financial gain, feeding their gluttony with the world’s ever dwindling resources. It was this partnership of a satisfied upper and lower class that encouraged the continuation of colonialism, thus ensuring colonies’ dependence on Western society and sealing their fates as ones of struggle and hardship under the European

G. Hopkins’s thesis is that British Imperialism was mainly motivated by economic motives that developed from the capitalist society of Britain and that Imperialism left lasting impressions on the nations it impacted. Cain and Hopkins argue that it was an economic motivation that drove British Imperialism. This is shown when they state, “[Capitalism’s] main dynamic was the drive to create an international trading system centered on London and mediated by sterling.” This quote conveys that British Imperialism was motivated by Capitalism in order to create an international trading system that the British could profit off of. Cain and Hopkins provide additional support to their argument by discussing the economic depravity in Britain when Britain’s agriculture declined and the gross value of arable output fell from £104 million to £62 million. This decline in agriculture conveys the need for economic growth in Britain that was attained through Imperialism.

•The rise of capitalism and mercantilism as tools of empire building and financial basis for the rise of the bourgeois class

2. What were the causes of the "New Imperialism" of the late nineteenth century? What were some of the arguments to justify this imperialism? What were the results or consequences of this imperialism?