Imperialism in the 19th century

1. What is ‘imperialism’? How did 19th-century colonialism, empire building, high imperialism differ from those of earlier times: in particular from the colonialism of early- modern mercantilism (16th to18th centuries)?

An example of this would be the Treaty of Wang Hiya, ratified by the U.S in 1845. This treaty was a treaty of peace, amity, and commerce, with tariff of duties between China and the United States. The acquisition of California gave ports on the west coast, thus enabling trade to begin between the U.S. and the Far East and allowed the U.S. to begin to project their dominance in the Pacific. In the later part of the 1840’s the U.S. turned their attention to the Caribbean. The U.S. again demonstrated their new found imperialism when they offered Spain 100 million dollars to buy Cuba and then stated if they refused, it would be taken by force, though these threats were never executed, it is prime examples of how the United States asserted itself as a serious player in world

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.

Imperialism is a recurring theme in the history of the world. Stronger countries see themselves as superior to other societies and believe their ways are right. They force religion, government, and practices on countless foreign lands. At the very end of the nineteenth

The concept of imperialism is one that has pervaded nearly every major society or empire throughout human history. It seems to be a natural consequence of societies growing in size, power, and knowledge. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries vast changes occurred in Western Europe (and soon spread elsewhere) that spurred a new round of imperialism the likes of which had not been seen before. The changes were the industrial revolution that was taking place. Countries were rapidly advancing to industrial societies producing much greater quantities of goods at much lower costs. The goods produced ranged everywhere from cotton textiles to military machinery, all of which would play important roles in rounds of imperialistic expansion that

The European colonization of Africa, also known as the Scramble for Africa, Partition of Africa, or Conquest of Africa, occurred between the 1870s and 1900s, and was the invasion, occupation, colonization, and annexation of African territory by European powers during a period of New Imperialism. European control of the continent increased from 10 percent (1870) to 90 percent (1914), with only three territories, Saguia el-Hamra, which was later integrated into Spanish Sahara, Ethiopia and Liberia remaining independent of Europe’s control. There were many reasons for the European colonization of Africa, including economic and political motives, with the Berlin Conference serving as a catalyst. Africans resisted the European invasions of their lands, with the two main methods of opposition were guerilla warfare and direct military engagement. European influence on Africa still remains today, though these influences are generally negative and hurt Africa’s overall development.

In the early 1880’s, the powers of Europe started to take control of regions in Africa and set up colonies there. In the beginning, colonization caused the Africans little harm, but before long, the Europeans started to take complete control of wherever they went. The Europeans used their advanced knowledge and technology to easily maneuver through the vast African landscape and used advanced weapons to take control of the African people and their land. The countries that claimed the most land and had the most significant effect on Africa were France, England, Belgium, and Germany. There were many reasons for the European countries to be competing against each other to gain colonies in Africa. One of the main reasons was that the

In the late 1800s the United States in the western hemisphere as a pursuit to contend with European economic, political, and military strategies. Another possibility for imperialism would also have trade between other Countries. The United States was becoming a nation that was yarning for wealth, and seeking the need for advancing their own economy. They United States has corrupted many less fortunate countries for The outset to improve their own lavish.

Imperialism is defined in the dictionary as being a " The policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic and political hegemony over other nations" (p 681 American Heritage college Dictionary). Usually people associate imperialism as being the domination of a small country by a larger, more powerful country, usually to the advantage of the larger country. At the beginning of the nineteenth century most of the countries in Europe were involved in imperialism. Each country had it's own motives for wanting to gain an empire and some of the reason were Economic, Political, Religious and Exploitation.

Imperialism is defined as a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Over the nineteenth as well as the twentieth century America has allowed Imperialism to play an enormous role in our growth and economic success. Imperialism wasn’t America’s first resort in fact during world war one the American agenda closely resembled that of isolationism rather than imperialism.

Throughout the 18th and 19th century, Europe underwent an Industrial Revolution. People began relying heavily on machines. Various countries required resources for their industrial lifestyle, and thus they enforced a policy of imperialism. Imperialism is when a country politically, economically, and socially stronger takes control over a weaker country and utilizes the resources from that country. However, many countries abused their power during imperialism. European nations are guilty of abuse of power in the Congo, India, and South Africa.

I would say in my own words that imperialism came as a fact that people in America realized the control of other countries, and supporters of American imperialism wanted to protect American interests. Furthermore, progressive presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson concluded that America can use its power when it comes to interest of America, when it is possible that America is in danger of being threatened (Hewitt, Lawson). During the late 19th/early 20th centuries American imperialism drove factors such as economics, cultural and social. The US export drastically increased and between 1870 and 1910, “U.S. exports more than tripled” (Hewitt, Lawson 623). The biggest companies increased their earnings because of foreign market. Also,

In the 19th through 20th century, in order to build up already existing nations, new territories had to be acquired, often overseas. This policy of “extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic and political hegemony over other nations” is referred to as imperialism. Countries are dominated by the political, economic, or cultural life of another. With its first appearance in the middle of the 19th century, modern imperialism began with Europe, the United States, and Japan exerting their control over other people and places as a means of gaining the upper hand in trade and resources. As major corporations aligned with the government, new methods of imperialism emerged, using trade, investment and business. Physical force and the sending of colonists to new lands were no longer the ways to get what was wanted from some situation, rather, manipulative means were put into use. Nations with empires around the world had considerable power, but little influence on the lives of the peoples they conquered, but that soon changed. Encouraged by the military and economic strength gained from the Industrial Revolution, Europe set out with on a path of aggressive expansion with strong motives and an urge for development, manifesting imperialism throughout Africa and Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries.

There is an impressive change by the 19th century by the domination of one country over another group of people, Imperialism.