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European Imperialism During The Middle Of The Nineteenth Century

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Starting from the middle of the nineteenth century, the Age of New Imperialism took over the world. Imperialism is the method by which a country extends its borders either through military force or by diplomacy. The main motives that drove colonization and imperialism were belief in European superiority and industrialization or modernization. As the Industrial Revolution escalated, countries needed lands with raw materials and natural resources, as well as new markets across the globe that would greatly benefit their economy. Because Europe had advanced so greatly due to industrialization and the modernization of technology in such a short amount of time, Europeans believed that they were the superior race of the world. With that attitude, they believed that they should plant their flag on as many places as possible across the world. Most important however was the economic motivation to be a strong world power through trade and finance. During the Imperialism era, almost all regions modernized economically either due to European colonization and domination like in Africa and India, or in attempt to block out western influence like in China and Japan. The greatest example of European colonization was in the continent of Africa. While initially the exploration of Africa was simply for adventurers, missionaries and humanitarians that wanted to stop slave trade, Africa became more appealing for its economic opportunities. Sub-Saharan Africa was a producer of raw materials

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