The Negative Effects Of Imperialism

Imperialism is the policy of extending the role of authority of a nation over a foreign country, usually in material gain. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the United States went through an era of imperialism. At the time, the US was quite powerful, but was looking to continue to spread their territory, make themselves even stronger, and have multiple trade routes to have all the resources they needed and wanted.

Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Imperialism played a huge role in the causes of world war I and was mostly from Germany and Serbia. This also means smaller states had to fight for freedom or life. Through this most imperialists

They would go get new raw materials, so they would be able to sell to a new market of people. Secondly, both the Americans and Europeans were both strong in nationalism, which led to competition between countries which made the people of these countries go out and look for areas that they can conquer. Racism was also a factor in Imperialism. Americans and the Europeans and their white race felt they were the best in the world and thought what they stood for was the best, so they wanted

Imperialism was a negative event that happened to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country was first impressed by the Belgian king, King Leopold II. He ruled the land not as a colony but as his own. He treated the Congolese as slaves to gather him resources to help make him more wealthy. Imperialism was the worst thing that happened to the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Leopold II enslaved the people, and stripped the land of resources, punished them which ultimately lead to the Belgian government stripping him of Power

Giving up all of one’s possessions due to a forceful invasion is brutal and inhumane. Europe was superior while Africans were inferior and human rights for Native Africans were disregarded when Europe took over. Europe imperialized many countries in Africa in the 1800’s; Europeans wanted to dominate a weaker nation for more land. Because Africa had ivory, gold and rubber, they wanted Africa’s natural resources to make them more powerful. The invasion of the Europeans may have improved some African lives by building infrastructure--such as railroads, roads, and air/maritime routes--however, African lives were negatively impacted due to the lack of education, racial inequality, and cultural changes.

The Europeans thought it was their burden as white men to bring religion and God to whom they thought were uncivilized people (Spielvogel and McTighe 227) . When coming to Africa the Europeans spread the word of God through missionaries and bible teachings and converted a lot of the Africans to Christianity. As explained through an African proverb, “When the whites came to our country we had the land and they had the Bible, now we have the Bible and they have the land” (Document 3). To justify taking African religion the Europeans said it was their job as white men to give the Africans God so they can experience what comes with it. Bringing new beliefs to the Africans it replaced the other religious ideas and in turn lost much of the culture the Africans held. Incoming Europeans were more concerned with protecting their traditions and culture and spreading it to this new region rather than respecting the Africans and their existing traditional culture. While the Europeans worked to conserve their culture, religions and traditions they were looking to gain economic stability from Africa to help them to become more powerful and overall have good economic

Imperialism is a policy that has positively impacted nations and their development for centuries. This was especially true during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when many European nations began to expand far beyond their borders. Imperialistic policies were not only good for the development of countries that were expanding, but in many cases, the countries that were being expanded into as well.

These European nations took over land and people that weren’t rightfully theirs. Europeans did not consider the land and people they were imperializing and this caused many negative effects for the colonized nation and people. For example, Document 7 says, “They were all rapacious [greedy]; they all subserved the needs of the subject lands to their own demands; they all circumscribed [limited] human rights and liberties; they all repressed and despoiled [violated], degraded and oppressed. They took our lands, our lives, our resources, and our dignity.” This clearly shows the negative effects of imperialism and view point of the colonized people.

When the colonies become ruled by a mother country this means the natives will most likely become slaves (Document 2). The European countries will benefit from their labor. In Africa missionaries came and the natives didn't like them (Document 4). The Africans thought of them very negatively because they used religion as means to gain trust so they could conquest the natives land. Also, new diseases were introduced to the natives by the Europeans. There were many more negative effects of imperialism in Africa like their loss of dignity and their ability to lead themselves (Document 6). This is because the Europeans taught them that their culture was inferior to theirs. In the political cartoon in Document 7, it shows a cartoonist implying that Europeans work the natives in the colonies very hard all for the money. They don't care about the natives well being. In India, the British took over and many bad effects occurred as result to this. Like, Indian resources going straight to Britain. Also British manufactured good replaced Indian local industry. Farmers were forced to grow cash crops like tea and cotton and Indians went hungry. Also, top jobs were reserved for the British. This left many Indians unemployed. The Indians were treated as inferiors in their own country. Many wars broke out due to racism and which mother country wanted which colony. Like in Africa the Boers War in 1899 was a confrontation between the English and the Dutch when England wanted to take the Cape Colony from the Dutch. Another war in Africa caused by Imperialism is the Zulu war. The Zulu war was caused by British aggression. In China the Opium war was between Great Britain and China. It began in 1839 as a conflict over the opium trade that ended in 1842 with the opening of five Chinese ports to foreign merchants. But the worst effect of Imperialism is when the mother country tries to replace the culture of the

Imperialism is the domination of a weaker country by a stronger country. For instance Britain dominated India and China in the mid 1880s to the beginning of the 20th century. Imperialism has had both a positive and negative effects on the countries involved. Britain was imperialistic for many reasons, it could dominate because it had the technology and power to do so. They also needed land to acquire raw materials for growing markets.

Imperialism in Africa began in the late 19th century. It began when King Leopold II began the Scramble for Africa. All of the major colonial powers went after Africa. Their goal was to gain the most wealth and to have the most territory. Having more territory and claiming valuable parts of the continent was a symbol of power. Imperialism in Africa had negative and positive consequences on both the Europeans and Africans, these can be shown through human rights issues, new industry and advancements, and wealth and influence.

Europeans colonization stripped Africans of their culture and ability to express themselves. Document 5, illustrates the cultural bondage that Africa was stuck in due to colonization. Being tied in European cultural hindered African from stating their beliefs and

For cultural and ideological reasons, imperial nations believed that their values and beliefs were superior to anyone else’s. A huge concept of New Imperialism was the European “civilizing mission”. In general, Europeans think they’re doing a good deed by imposing their beliefs onto the inhabitants of Africa. As King Leopold II stated, “Our refined society attaches to human life (and with reason) a value unknown to barbarous communities” (King Leopold II, 222). Since the Africans were “inferior” to Europeans,

Between 1870 and 1914, European countries ceased about ninety percent of Africa. Native Africans faced political, military, and imperialism pressure from various European countries. After the end of the profitable slave trade in Africa, due to abolishing of slavery, Europeans explored for new guaranteed markets, and heavily profitable investments. In addition, European countries were under industrialization, the demand for raw materials heavily increased. Europeans as well faced power struggles with one another and competition for political influence in Africa. European power struggle ultimately lead to the “Scramble for Africa.” Europeans undertook the process of imperialism in Africa in the late 19th century by exercising political, economic, and military power on their African colonies. Some African leaders and societies welcomed Europeans in hopes to protect and develop their native land. Some African leaders and societies responded to European occupation by gathering resistance groups in attempt to fight off foreign imperialists.

Many nations wanted to expand their territory and gain control of natural resources that are nonnative. As a result, Imperialism began in the late nineteenth century due to economic, political, and social forces including the Industrial Revolution, trade, and military conditions. Imperialism is the domination over an undeveloped, less industrialized country by a stronger, more industrialized nation. Although Imperialism has shaped the culture and customs all over the world, it had both negative and positive impacts throughout imperialized nations. The Perspectives on imperialism varied widely between those who imposed it and those who were affected by it.