Objective: Discuss the cause of European expansion and how it impacted the four corners of the globe.
Through direct control of the colonies, European countries would use two methods of government: paternalism and assimilation. Paternalism meant Europeans governed people in a "fatherly" way by providing for their needs, but prohibiting them certain rights and using European officials in government. Assimilation meant local cultures and customs were forced to change to European standards. Through indirect control of colonies, Europeans used local governments, trained local people to be leaders and self-rule was greatly limited.
Political Cartoons
This cartoon depicts Britain's desire to be the empire like it used to be. John Bull is the octopus head in the middle of the cartoon. He personifies Britain in many cartoons and was created in 1712. This character was also seen as a conservative, which corresponds to Queen Victoria's quest for land in the late 19th century. I find this cartoon to be very interesting and humorous. I love the octopus as Britain.
This cartoon from 1901 depicts the situation in Asia after the Boxer Rebellion. This was when the Boxers, a secret society in Asia, rebelled in 1899 against both the Qing dynasty and the foreign powers that were making their way into China. Thye did not want to be a part of European culture, but the European powers suppressed the rebellion and actually got more power because thy were then able to permanently station their military throughout China. Different European nations divided China into spheres of influence in which each country held exclusive trading rights. Chinese society was destabilized as a result of the foreign occupation in the years that followed. This only led to increased foreign control, and China was essentially carved into separate colonies by the European powers. This cartoon portrays the imperial powers gathered around the defeated Chinese dragon, arguing over the best way to dismember China, and each country is represented by a certain animal. Japan is the saber tooth tiger, Italy is the dog dressed in an Italian military uniform, the US is an eagle, the Russian bear and the British lion are the most prominent and powerful in the picture. I love how all the countries are depicted in the cartoon. It is a very clever demonstration of what happened.
This political cartoon depicts the US's control around the world. America has some influence everywhere on earth. I think this is a very accurate depiction of the US's involvement. It gets to be too much sometimes. The US should only be involved in things that are absolutely necessary.
The US was imperialistic. It used an excuse similar to "white man's burden" called "manifest destiny" to expand across the North American continent. It also used economics to dominate the island of Hawaii and it fought the Spanish-American War to take Spain's territory in Central and South America.
The US was also not imperialistic because of its roots. It was a colony who gained independence from an empire. Also the US doesn't just go into countries and establish governments unless it's called upon to do so.
US Events 1815-1914
Roosevelt Corollary
In 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The original Doctrine prohibited European powers from getting involved in Latin America, and the Corollary took that one step further. It stated the US had the right to take military action to keep Europe out of Latin America. This demonstrated that the US also wanted to be imperialistic and gain more power and territory.
Opening of Japan
Commodore Matthew Perry went to Japan in 1852 to persuade them to allow US ships to refuel and get supplies. Instead he used gunboat diplomacy to open Japan up to imperialist influence and world trade. This allowed Europeans to trade with Japan and it also resulted in a conflict between Japan and Russia. Japan won marking the first time a non-westernized country defeated a western country.
Colonial Uprising
Sepoy Mutiny
This rebellion started in the Indian town of Meerut on May 10, 1857 by Mangal Pandey. The Sepoys were Indian soldiers who were mostly Hindu and Muslim. The British gun cartridges were packaged in stuff made out of pork and cow fat. They had to take this wrapping off with their mouths and ingesting this animal fat was a violation of the Hindu and Muslim religion. Mangal Pandey stood up to the British army officials and led his fellow Sepoys in rebellion which spread all over India. It resulted in the dissolution of the British East India Company and led to reforms in the army, administration and financial system. India was under more direct British control.
Modern Uprising
Egyptian Rebellion
Egyptian people were tired of the regime of Hosni Mubarek. He prohibited basic rights, and people were suffering because of high unemployment. Starting on January 25, 2011 2 million people protest in Cairo, the capitol of Egypt, forcing Mubarek and his cabinet to resign on February 11, 2011. People are overjoyed with the victory, but Egypt's military took power until elections could be held. More than a year later, these elections are yet to be held and the military still maintains power.
Suez Canal
Today the Suez Canal is controlled by Egypt. It connects the Mediterannean Sea with the Red Sea providing a waterway for transportation between Europe and Asia without having to go around Africa. It is important because of the ease of travel from east to west. The canal also provides valuable income for the Egyptian government.
3-2-1
3 Things I Learned:
- What caused New Imperialism
- How widespread European colonization was during this time
- The US was also Imperialistic, though not in the same way as the European countries
- Japan became imperialist themselves in a very short period of time
- The reactions different places had to being colonized
- If Europeans took on the "white man's burden" to better the lives of other countries, why is Africa in the state it is today?
No comments:
Post a Comment