Glossary
Economic Control
The domination of a region's economy by an imperial power, often through the exploitation of resources, labor, and the creation of dependent markets.
Example:
The British East India Company exerted significant economic control over India, dictating trade policies and exploiting local industries.
Free Trade Agreements
Commercial treaties that reduce or eliminate tariffs and other barriers to trade, often used by imperial powers to infiltrate and dominate foreign markets.
Example:
Britain pushed for free trade agreements with China, which ultimately led to the Opium Wars and increased British economic influence.
God, Glory, and Gold
The primary motivations for European exploration and colonization during the era of Old Imperialism, encompassing religious conversion, national prestige, and economic wealth.
Example:
Conquistadors like Cortés were driven by God, Glory, and Gold, seeking to convert indigenous peoples, gain fame for Spain, and acquire vast riches.
Military Bases
Strategic locations established in colonized territories to project military power, protect trade routes, and secure imperial interests.
Example:
Britain established numerous military bases along its global trade routes, such as Gibraltar and Singapore, to protect its vast empire.
New Imperialism
A wave of European expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by the intense scramble for economic, political, and cultural domination of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Example:
The Scramble for Africa, where European powers rapidly divided the continent, is a prime example of New Imperialism.
New Markets
Colonial territories that served as guaranteed consumers for European manufactured goods, providing outlets for surplus production and ensuring economic profits.
Example:
European powers sought new markets in Africa and Asia to sell their factory-produced textiles and machinery, creating a captive consumer base.
Old Imperialism
A period of European expansion from the 16th to early 19th centuries, primarily focused on establishing physical colonies for trade and resource extraction.
Example:
Spain's conquest of vast territories in the Americas to extract silver and gold exemplifies Old Imperialism.
Power Display
The use of colonies and imperial expansion as a means for European nations to demonstrate their national strength, prestige, and global influence.
Example:
Germany's acquisition of colonies in Africa, despite limited economic benefit, was largely a power display to assert its status among European rivals.
Protestant Missions
Religious organizations established by Protestant denominations to spread Christianity and Western cultural values to indigenous populations in colonized regions.
Example:
Many Protestant missions were established in sub-Saharan Africa, often working alongside colonial administrations to 'civilize' local populations.
Raw Materials
Unprocessed natural resources, such as rubber, cotton, and minerals, that were in high demand by European industrial powers to fuel their factories during New Imperialism.
Example:
Britain's control over India ensured a steady supply of raw materials like cotton for its textile mills.
Social Darwinism
A pseudoscientific theory applying Darwinian concepts of 'survival of the fittest' to human societies, used to justify European imperial expansion and racial superiority.
Example:
Many Europeans believed that their technological and societal advancements proved their inherent superiority, making imperial conquest a natural outcome of Social Darwinism.
Spheres of Influence
Areas within a country where an outside power claims exclusive economic, political, or cultural rights, without direct territorial annexation.
Example:
China was divided into various spheres of influence by European powers and Japan, each controlling specific regions for trade and investment.
Technological Advantage
The superior military and industrial technology possessed by European powers, such as machine guns and steamships, which enabled their rapid conquest and control of vast territories.
Example:
The Maxim gun provided a decisive technological advantage for European forces, allowing them to overcome much larger indigenous armies.
Westernization
The process by which societies adopt or are forced to adopt Western European cultural, political, and economic norms and institutions.
Example:
Missionaries and colonial administrators often promoted Westernization by establishing schools that taught European languages and customs.
White Man's Burden
A poem by Rudyard Kipling that popularized the idea that Europeans had a moral obligation to civilize and Christianize non-European peoples, serving as a justification for imperialism.
Example:
The concept of the White Man's Burden was used to rationalize the harsh treatment of colonized peoples, framing it as a necessary step towards their 'progress'.