Age Of New Imperialism Analysis

This led to a focus on a trading system because Europeans didn’t want to take on territorial responsibilities. During the Old imperialism era, Europeans set up trading posts, ports, and docks. These trading centers benefited the places the mother country was supplying too. They had objectives to protect their trading centers in native places and none to obtain territories in them. Europe’s trade within and between native lands led to cultural diversity which may have caused a small breach in unity. However, the old Imperialism era ended due to high costs in taking over territories and too much time to supply the mother country. There was no time to build up a superior, organized, skilled army for anyone. Also, due to the Industrial Revolution there was now a faster more efficient way to create and manufacture products. Throughout Western Europe, political authority was completely controlled by central governments, while leaders, such as Isabela I, were busy with the concept of how to increase the power of the state. National wealth was widely viewed as the groundwork of national power, governmental controls soon dominated nearly all of the state's domestic economy.

Imperialism was a time period in which more developed nations colonized less developed nations. The developed nations took advantage of the less developed nations resources, people, lands, and much more. Many countries lost their freedom and independence due to imperialism, however, they also received new technologies and innovations.

Humans have always been curious about their surroundings and how it could benefit them. The Europeans were famous for doing just that. The Age of Discovery and the Age of New Imperialism are evidence of the Europeans’ curiosity to venture out of their country. Although both the Age of Discovery and New Imperialism were similar in political and religious motives, they differed in economic motives and mindsets. The Age of Discovery and New Imperialism had many similarities in motives.

Europeans sought out lands that provided new sources of raw materials, cheap labor, markets, areas of investment, and military boosters. As European nations became competitive with one another, there was an increased pressure to practice Imperialism to maintain power. New Imperialism was motivated greatly by the Industrial Revolution and its advancements, and efficiency of manufacturing and supplying products. European nations also focused on opening trade routes that would give them places to sell their goods. Also significant was the Europeans desire to Christianize and “civilize” other nations through missionary work and the enforcement of European cultures and beliefs. The new Imperialism brought on social changes as well. Many people urged the taking up of the “White Man’s Burden”, bringing the European version of civilization to the rest of the world, regardless whether they wanted it or not.

The era from 1450 CE to 1900 CE encompasses two periods in history. The early modern period between 1450 and 1750 CE is characterized by the age of commercial revolution and the beginning of European dominance. The second period between 1750 and 1900 CE represents an era of Atlantic and Industrial Revolutions as well as the Age of Imperialism. During both these periods, British domination based on sea trade, colonization, and major land-based empires in Asia impacted long-distance trade and shaped economic conditions in North America and China.

Since the beginning of modern civilization, man has had a burning desire for land. European nations in particular are well known for being those of imperialists, the act of extending a nation’s power or economy through the process of acquiring land. The strive for power in Africa can be seen dating back to the late 18th century, and continued throughout the early 20th. Europeans practiced imperialism in Africa for several centuries for reasons including economic opportunities, national pride, and the interpreted moral responsibilities.

The new Imperialism was the new period of colonial expansion and new inventions. The new age of imperialism brought wealth and power. The wealth and power that was brought were essential for the expansion of European Nations, the United States, and Japan. The age of new imperialism was motivated by many things some of those were, the promise of economic growth, the sting of national rivalries, and a sense of noble superiority. During the new imperialism, some European nations began to seek strict political control over foreign and overseas areas. The main motive behind economic forces was that Western industrial countries needed raw materials to run their factories and markets to sell their manufactured goods in. Some social forces that caused

During the late 1800s, industrialization transformed many nations into advanced societies through the improvements of science, technology, industry, and transportation. Not only had had industrialization created great progression throughout the globe, but it also sparked the desire to build empires overseas, obtain more natural resources, and generate new markets for trade. This is also very commonly known as imperialism. Soon, an intense scramble began between seperate powers and countries became hungry for more political and economic control. However, not all countries faced the same strengths to expand leading to shameful colonization of the existing weaker nations. During the nineteenth century, those who faced

In the late 1800’s the U.S. decided they wanted to get rid of isolationist ideas and become a stronger respected world power. This was referred to as New Imperialism which meant expansion over the sea. This was good for trade for the US because it gave a new market to sell goods to and it meant new raw materials would be brought to the US. The US wanted to create a stronger navy and military to help defend the US right to trade not for war that was the last thing the US wanted. The US made treaties with politically smaller countries that would be easy to take over. One reason why the US wanted to expand was because of economics new trade ports and raw materials for manufactured goods and a larger group to sell too. Manifest

Despite being arguably the most powerful nations in the world, European nations such as Great Britain, France, and Germany in the late 1800s could not ignore the colonial ambitions presented to them. All around the globe, once independent and peaceful countries became battlefields of war and conquering due to European invasion. The reasons for these aggressions varied immensely, with some seizing new territory with intentions to accomplish any given set of goals. Countries in frequent cases found use in a region’s natural resources that could be used to manufacture goods or create new markets. On the other hand, some leader’s motives to expand were simply fueled by nationalism, with their nation adding new areas to build upon their empire and gain more power. Some even developed the size of their land to openly promote their culture, ideas, and technology. Although all of these purposes may seem like they could be beneficial to both parties involved, the concept of Imperialism proved to be quite harmful to the colony nation. European imperialism throughout Africa and Asia was more negative because of economic, political, and social factors.

Next came global imperialism during 1893, which “was simply an extension of the way American had ‘won the West’” (Schultz, 2012, para. 3). Politically, American imperialism can be traced back to the 1870s when the United States began to compete with European powers to “conquer vulnerable resource-rich regions” that would provide “substantial profits and a worldwide network of commercial and military bases” (Schultz, 2012, para. 7). In 1883, the United States began to build upon its military through the replacement of wooden sailing ships with “powerful all-steel, steam-driven battleships, armed with the latest long-range artillery” (Schultz, 2012, para. 19). This also meant that the United States needed naval supply bases to aid the naval fleet in maintaining American territory overseas. As for why America was building a global empire, this was done to support American economic development and to establish the United States as a world power worth reckoning with.” The United States also worked to build a global empire “because many Americans believed the United States was destined to share the benefits of democracy and white civilization with the rest of the world” (Schultz, 2012, para. 90).

European imperialism on the other hand was for the increase in pride for the involved nations.

In the early modern period, explorers crossed immense oceans to even find a hint of other civilizations and new resources. With superior material and technological strength, especially firearms, Europeans were able to achieve land and power. The motives for European expansion varied from desiring glory from their lands, gold for their future, to serve in the name of God, and the strategic needs that their country may require.

But because of world powers like the Russian, Ottoman, and Chinese empires, some people started to believe that this idea could not be achieved without becoming like them—without a further expansion of the country. However, due to the fact that “…there was no longer a clear line separating settled and unsettled land” (Foner 659), expansion of the country could not be achieved without invasion and/or colonization, which meant that the United States needed to become an empire if it wanted to expand. Much like during the nineteenth century, the idea of manifest destiny came into play again, but this time it was in reference to a global expansion. Those who supported the emergence of an American empire argued that it was our country’s divine right to do so, and “The economy would benefit…since one means civilizing “savages” was to turn them into consumers of American goods” (Foner 660). And since the United States already had some possession and control over the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, they were already halfway there. Combing this argument with the interests in both improving the economy and an expansion of trade, the idea of an American empire didn’t seem half-bad—if we were to conquer and civilize others, they would become essential to the purchasing and consumption of American goods. Wasn’t it in the best interest of the country to improve our economy and our trade by increasing both our exports and the number of people who depend on them? These interests, coupled with the ideas of manifest destiny and becoming a powerful nation, led to the United States’ temptation of creating an empire in the late nineteenth

1. The distinguishing factors of new imperialism from the earlier forms of European expansion was that now the Europeans would penetrate the lands that they wanted to conquer rather than just setting up a trading post on the coast like they previously would have done. Unlike old imperialism, they Europeans would use their colonies for political gains by setting up governments and protectorates in the areas that they imperialized. Rather than just taking advantage of the trading post, they would exploit the colonies and their people, unlike previously done before. They no longer cared about cooperating with the previously existing governments in the land that they would imperialize because they planned to set up their own governments there. Europeans nations were now looking to expand their empires by acquiring these territories, unlike before, distinguishing new imperialism from earlier forms of expansion.