The Age of Imperialism

In the late 1800s, the industrialized nations of Europe pursued imperialist policies with the goal of dominating as much of the world as possible. As you can see from the map, Britain had so many territories under its control and influence that the phrase “The sun never sets on the British Empire” became popular. European powers expanded as they looked for new territories as well as the prestige that a large empire brought. The immediate need, however, came from the Industrial Revolution: countries needed access to raw materials for their factories, and they wanted new markets for their finished goods. Imperialism solved both of these issues.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the beginning of the twentieth century, the industrialized countries of Europe and Asia competed for control of different parts of the world. The policy of controlling foreign territories either directly by conquering them, or indirectly through some other means is known as imperialism. The main powers of that era believed that an imperialist foreign policy was important in order to have a strong economy and become a world power.

If you think imperialism sounds something like colonialism, you are right. Think of colonialism, the direct control of a territory by a foreign country, as part of the practice of an imperialist foreign policy. All acts of colonization are imperialist, but not all imperialist actions involve colonies. In this interactivity, explore each of the different forms of imperialism. Click the player to begin.

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The European powers adopted imperialist policies for a number of reasons. As Europe continued to industrialize, its factories needed new sources of cheap and plentiful raw materials like copper and rubber. Some of these products, such as rubber, only grew in more tropical regions. Europe conquered territories and established plantations to satisfy its growing needs. Businesses wanted new markets to sell more products. By extending control over different regions, a country could sell more products to these regions and prevent other countries from selling their goods. Often, the imperialist powers would restrict a region that it controlled from making the same products or buying them from another country.

Nationalism, or pride in one’s country, also motivated politicians to expand their territories in an attempt to build empires. The more territories a country had, the greater its prestige or so many believed. Many people thought that their country was superior to others. They felt as if this gave their country the right to take over foreign territories and establish overseas colonies.

Closely related to this idea was the racist belief that many Europeans held -- that they were superior to other races. They pointed to the technical innovations of the Industrial Revolution as proof that they were more advanced than the rest of the world. In particular, this attitude extended to certain people they considered “primitive.” Many Europeans believed they held a responsibility to uplift these people. They sent missionaries to Africa and Asia to convert people to Christianity. As part of this effort, they often built schools. Some doctors also traveled to the colonies, bringing more modern medical techniques and establishing hospitals.

Finally, it made strategic sense for countries to establish territories and spheres of influence throughout the world. With the development of the steamship, ships could go much farther much faster. Military and commercial ships needed ports where they could stock up on supplies and fuel for the long voyages. Politically, some nations competed for dominance, and some nations believed it was their destiny to rule the world as a result of their "greatness."

One reason that European powers were successful in their conquests was because the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, and Qing Dynasty were all in decline compared to the height of their empires. The Ottomans had recently lost territory, and the Mughal Empire, which was Muslim, was losing ground to the Hindus in India. China faced internal and external pressure to open its borders to trade with the Europeans. China had restricted Europeans to certain trade zones at one time. Finally, Europe had superior military technology at the time. Their new weapons and ships made it hard for Africans and Asians to resist Europe’s imperialist agenda.

Great Britain, which was the leading industrialized nation at the time, stood as the leading imperialist power. Britain started to pursue imperialist policies during the 1600s, establishing colonies in the New World. By the 1700s, the country had built a trade network in Asia and India. By the late 1800s, Britain gave some of its colonies, such as Canada and Australia, self-rule over internal affairs, but tightened its control over other areas. Britain also faced severe competition to its position as the world’s largest economy from other industrialized countries, but in the mid-1800s, it remained the largest industrialized economy.

Imperialism Around the Globe Review

Now that you have studied the Age of Imperialism, check your understanding in this non-graded interactivity. Read each question or statement and select the correct response. Click the player to get started.