Crash Course Geography: Empires and Colonialism

Overview

• Discussion of historical control and influence over territories.
• Focus on South Florida and its various rulers over time.
• Introduction to the concepts of empires, imperialism, and colonialism.

Key Concepts

Empires

• Formed when a single authority controls multiple territories.
• Can function intrusively or more hands-off.

Imperialism

• Describes domination of one state over others.
• Motivated by acquisition of land, resources, or strategic positions.

Colonialism

• A type of imperialism involving settlement and cultural control.
• Often implies control of land and resources.

Historical Instances

European Colonialism

• Spanned globally from the 15th century to the present.
• Involved various tactics of domination and resource extraction.

Non-European Empires

• Chinese, Japanese, and Mongol empires expanded through force.

Impact of Colonialism

Dependency Theory

• Colonized regions remain economically reliant on colonizers even after independence.

World Systems Theory

• Classifies regions into core, periphery, and semi-periphery based on wealth and power.

Neocolonialism

• Describes economic and political control by external forces, despite formal independence.

Case Studies

Taiwan

• Colonized by the Dutch and later controlled by the Qing Dynasty and Japan.
• Experienced shifts from subsistence to industrial-level agriculture.
• A strategic location between US allies and China, fostering economic growth.

Myanmar

• Former British colony with ongoing ethnic conflicts.
• Colonial period created divisions among ethnic groups.

Thailand

• Experienced culinary colonization.
• Thai government promoted cultural outreach through cuisine.

Modern Implications

• Colonialism continues to impact geopolitical divisions and economic relationships.
• Maps and borders often exclude consultation with indigenous peoples.
• Encouragement to learn about local indigenous history and engage with their communities.

Conclusion

• Empires, imperialism, and colonialism have shaped and continue to influence global relationships and cultural landscapes.
• Next discussion will focus on development and success measurement on the global stage.

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• Resources: Encouragement to explore resources like native-land.ca to understand local indigenous history.
• Support: Information about supporting Crash Course on Patreon.