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19th Century European Imperialism Overview
Sep 23, 2024
Crash Course European History: 19th Century Imperialism
Overview
Presenter:
John Green
Time Period Covered:
19th Century
Key Themes:
European nation-building, expansion of overseas empires, contradictions in rights, and colonialism.
Main Topics
European Nation Building and Expansion
Nation-Building:
Grounded in rule of law and constitutional guarantees.
Contradiction in Rights:
Expansion involved denying rights to colonized peoples.
European Imperial Expansion
Regions of Focus:
Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands.
Motivations:
Trading advantages, acquisition of raw materials like palm oil.
Political Control:
Firm control established in territories like India, North Africa, Australia.
British Imperialism in India
Trade Loss Compensation:
Expansion in India to compensate for loss in North America.
Opium Wars:
British smuggling of opium into China leading to two wars forcing trade ports open.
Other European Powers
French, British, and Dutch:
Set up plantations and took resources in Africa, Asia, and Pacific.
Belgian King Leopold:
Exploited the Congo for rubber resources.
Tools of Empire
Industrial Tools:
Steamships, railroads, weaponry to maintain control.
Medical Tools:
Quinine from cinchona bark for malaria treatment.
Infrastructure:
Built to extract resources rather than benefit locals.
Resistance and Rebellion
Indian Rebellion of 1857:
Led by Rani Lakshmi Bai against British rule.
Reproductive Resistance:
Decline in births as a form of resistance against colonial oppression.
Local Prosperity under Colonial Rule
Local Elites:
Some prospered as business people and agents for colonizers.
Rabindranath Tagore:
Example of success, winning Nobel Prize in Literature.
Justifications for Imperialism
Christianization and Civilization:
Initially used as a moral justification.
Social Darwinism:
Post-Darwin, justification shifted to survival of the fittest.
Lasting Impacts and Tensions
Berlin Conference of 1884-1885:
Attempted to regulate African colonization.
International Tensions:
Increased competition and tensions leading to World War.
Conclusion
Imperialism's Legacy:
Continues to impact global dynamics and racial attitudes today.
Reflection
Shift in Perspective:
Consider the impact on those negatively affected by imperialism.
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Full transcript