The Age of Imperialism

Chapter 25

Introduction:

While industrialization and nationalism were transforming urban and agricultural life throughout Europe, Western society itself was reshaping the world. The West was beginning one of its most dynamic stages of expansion, resulting in the rise of colonial empires. At the same time, many Europeans were emigrating to all corners of the world, leaving no land untouched. The term “new imperialism” was beginning to come about, and it referred to Europe’s new economic and technological transformation. This “new imperialism” posed a brutal challenge to the African and Asian peoples. Many different societies were meeting this new western challenge in very different ways with different strategies and tactics, as we will soon explore.

EQ:

Q: How was massive migration an integral part of Western expansion?
A: Western nations were sending millions of emigrants to unpopulated areas in North and South America, as well as Australia and Asiatic Russia. As industrialization grew, and more jobs at home became available, emigration from certain countries slowed. Many Europeans did still continue to migrate however, until war came in 1914.

Two Political Cartoons:

This political cartoon represents the scramble for Africa in the Age of Imperialism. The cartoon shows people from different countries all pulling on different sides of Africa. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, and the Dutch are all seen trying to grab at their piece of Africa. The author wanted to pint out the fact that this scramble for Africa was important to everybody. Each country wanted to have their oven colonies in Africa, and it was very important that they fight for them. Also, the author put Great Britain and Holland down at the bottom of Africa clearly because they were both fighting over the Cape Colony. They are both pulling hard on South Africa, making it harder for the other countries to get what they wanted out of Africa. I found it interesting that all the countries pulling on Africa are sweating. It really shows even more the struggle that each country was putting in to this scramble for Africa. Overall, I think the cartoon does a really good job of showing how hard each country was trying.

This second political cartoon deals with “The White Man’s Burden” which was a poem written by Rudyard Kipling during the Age of Imperialism. The poem, The “White Man’s Burden” was all about how it was the responsibility of the white man to watch over, protect, and look after the nonwhite people of the colonized areas. The author clearly wanted to portray the idea that the white men were not easily looking over the nonwhites. Also, the nonwhites didn’t like that they were being controlled. You can see this through the face of the Indian. He is clearly upset, and does not want to be taken to the schoolhouse by the white man. One thing that I really found interesting about the cartoon was all of the rocks and obstacles that the white man has to go over when taking the black Indian up to the schoolhouse. This really again emphasizes that it really was a burden for the white men to look over the nonwhites.

One Current Political Cartoon

This cartoon depicts the Imperialistic ideals of the United States today. Uncle Sam looks angry and disturbed as he plunges many swords into different countries all over the world. The swords depict all the places where the US has tried to intervene and help with riots, or problems in these other countries. The author’s point to this cartoon was to clearly show that the United States interferes where they do not belong. You can tell that this is the way the author thinks of the United States because of the look on Uncle Sam’s face. The author clearly made him look like some type of mad person for this reason. I’ve always know that the United States has been accused of being imperialistic, but I never knew it was to this extent. This cartoon just takes the imperialism to a whole new level. This cartoon really makes the US look bad.

Do You Think the United States is/has been Imperialistic?

Personally, I think that the United States is very imperialistic. The United States has often been known to stick their nose into much of the business of other countries. Whenever there is an issue in another country, the United States has never had a problem with sticking their nose in the problem, and trying to help solve it. When we’ve done this, we’ve tried to interfere and help to make other countries governments like our own. That is a basic idea of imperialism. To take another country and make it like your own. Also, I should mention how the US took over the Philippines. That is a great example of Imperialism in the United States.

However, It could be argued that the US is not Imperialistic by saying that we do things out of the goodness of our heart anymore, and not for our own benefit. Also, with the economic crisis that we are currently in as a country, we are hesitant to stick our nose into the business of other countries as we have in the past because we have our own problems. Also, we generally say that we are not imperialistic. We allow other countries to become part of our country instead of forcing them to do so (excluding the Philippines). Generally, you could argue either side.

Two US Events

During the Age of Imperialism in Europe, Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico were annexed over in the United States. ceded by Spain after the Spanish-American War in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over Cuba, but did not cede it to the United States, so it became a protectorate. All four of these areas were under United States Military Government for extended periods. Cuba became an independent nation in 1902, and the Philippines became an independent nation in 1946. This relates over to Europe because Europe was also taking control of areas in Africa just like the US with Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

The Spanish-American war was also very significant during this time. The Spanish-American was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence. American attacks on Spain's Pacific possessions led to involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately to the Philippine-American War. This related over to Europe because it had a lot to deal with the overall destruction of the Spanish Empire, and the Spanish loosing all of their colonies.

Uprising in a European Colony

A significant uprising in a European colony was the Maji Maji Rebellion. The Maji Maji Rebellion was an event where the citizens marched from their villages wearing millet stalks around their foreheads. Initially they attacked small outposts and damaged cotton plants. On July 31, 1905, Matumbi tribesmen marched on Samanga and destroyed the cotton crop as well as a trading post. Some key players in the rebellion were Karl Peters and Kinjikitile Ngwale. Kinjikitile was a spirit medium that claimed to be possessed by a snake spirit called Hongo. Today, the area in Tanzania where the Maji Maji war took place is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa. Kinjikitile "Bokero" Ngwale is revered as a hero by the people of Tanzania.