The West and the World

1. The West and the World

2. The Immigrant Experience • Read Living in the Past on page 792-793 • What stands out to you about this passage? • What were some of the issues faced by migrants? • How does this compare to the “Immigrant Experience” today?

3. European Colonization • What were the reasons for colonization of the New World? • How do those compare to the reasons for colonization during the 19th century? • Read Documents 8 & 11 in DBQ 13 on page A-53 and A-54

4. Global Consequences of European industrialization between 1815 and 1914? • Global inequality in income increased as gap opened up between industrializing West and the regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America • Western nations promoted growth of world trade and investment, forced reluctant countries such as China and Japan into globalizing economy and profitably subordinated many lands to their own economic interests

5. How was massive migration an integral part of Western Expansion? • Population pressures at home and economic opportunities abroad led to millions of emigrants from Europe … p. 789-790 • As industrialization took hold and provided more decent jobs at home, migration slowed • Migration stopped in 1914 with outbreak of war • Migration from Asia was extremely limited due to high barriers created by European settlers

6. How and why after 1875 did European nations rush to build political empires in Africa and Asia? • Economic motives • Political competition • Superior military technology • Justified imperialism based on civilizing and Christianizing primitive peoples, whom they believed they were racially superior to • “Civilizing Mission” • White Man’s Burden • How? Built on social and economic divisions in African and Asian societies and to win cooperation of segment of population

7. What was the general pattern of non-Western responses to Western expansion, and how did India, Japan, and China meet the imperialist challenge? • African and Asian peoples attempted to defend themselves against the armies and navies but were generally defeated in battle • Traditionalists concentrated on preserving their culture • Modernists sought to introduce reforms capable of revitalizing their societies (turned to liberalism and nationalism) • India: English-speaking elite developed • Japan: Meiji Restoration turned to Western models • China: fall of the Qing Dynasty and proclaimed a western-style republic

10. Politics • Three decades before WWI were highpoint of European expansionism • France and Britain fighting for Asia and Africa • Competition between states led to Imperialism • Heinrich von Treitschke: no state could be great without colonies • European superiority in weapons and medicine made “new imperialism” possible • New Imperialism: resembled old European colonial empires of 17th century … how so? • Scramble for Africa: in 1850 only small part was colonized but by 1890s, most of continent was divided between British and French

11. Politics • “Effective Occupation” was the rule set by the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference • Conference set up to prevent any one power from dominating Europe • Recognized Leopold’s rule over Congo • Agreed to work to stop slavery • Colony of King Leopold of Belgium: Congo notorious for brutality • 10 million killed for not meeting rubber quota • Handed over to Belgian gov’t in 1908

12. Politics • Asia territories taken over by Europeans: • Indochina by French, Indonesia by Dutch, Central Asia by Russia • China forced to open up to Western trade by British in Opium Wars of 1840s • Britain had control of the seas • After 1860, aggression diminished b/c Europeans had obtained commercial and diplomatic relations • India was Britain’s “Jewel in the Crown” and was under direct rule of Parliament after 1857 Great Rebellion until 1947 • Japan opened by U.S. in “gunboat diplomacy”

13. Politics • Egypt • Muhammad Ali established strong and independent Egyptian state • Modernized by forcing farmers to become tenants of large, private landowners who adopted commercial agriculture • Reorganized the Egyptian army by drafting illiterate peasants and hiring French and Italian officers to train recruits • Ali’s grandson Ismail transformed Egypt • Large irrigation networks • Suez canal • Arabic as official language • Cairo acquires modern roads and hotels • British expansion by force, political domination and beneficial reform

14. Response to Imperialism • Socialists opposed and nationalists accepted • Traditionalists resisted and Westernizers supported • India: Western-educated elite did administrative and military work and established Indian National Congress in 1885 • British women worked to improve lives of Indian women • Japan: feudal state abolished, Meiji Restoration; adopted elements of Western Society in 1890s • China: Hundred Days of Reform; Boxer Rebellion in 1900 and unable to prevent Western penetration and were overthrown in revolution in 1912 that established a republic

15. Economy • Creation of the “Third World” • World trade grew to 25 times what it was in 1800 • Technological Advances • Steamships and transoceanic telegraphic cables • New ports such as Suez Canal and Panama Canal • New communications systems directed flow of goods • Industrialization at home made investments overseas possible • Domestic problems seemed less important due to imperialistic ventures and nationalistic pride • Imperialism provided cheap goods to keep prices down at home but new colonies were too poor to buy European goods

16. Religion • Mission to civilize the “barbarian” people of the world • Introduce benefits of modern medicine, education, political democracy and Christianity • Christian missionary work was highly successful in Africa but much less so in India, China, and the Muslim world

17. Society and Culture • 60 million emigrated between 1815 and 1932 • Families and friends coordinate migrations • Increased about 20 years after population growth as land became scarce • Many returned if they had possibility of buying land in home country • Largest number left for United States • Young, unmarried farmers and artisans • Large number of Asians left to work as indentured laborers in mines and on plantations in US, Africa, and L.A. • “Great White Walls” – laws designed to prevent Asians from settling permanently

18. Ideas and Literature • Social Darwinism and racism led to competition among white people for survival and exploitation of inferior races • Tabloid Journalism or “Yellow Press” promoted imperialism • Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” • J.A. Hobson wrote Imperialism • Existed because rich needed to invest excess capital • Damaged home country whose taxpayers bore brunt of costs • Workers were manipulated by nationalism, diverted from class struggle and domestic reform was delayed

19. Arts • Artists incorporated different artistic styles of Africa and the East • Songs of conquering armies become popular • Portrayed exotic elements of colonized peoples and conveyed excitement of travel in posters and advertisement

20. Review • “White Man’s Burden” and “Civilizing Mission” • Scramble for Africa • Berlin Conference • Old vs New Imperialism • Great Migration • Gunboat Diplomacy