Download Imperialism refers to a practice in which

NAME:_____________________________date:_______________ Grade 7 Guided Notes
1
Imperialism GUIDED NOTES
Imperialism refers to a practice in which industrialized nations maintain control or
influence over non-industrialized nations. European nations and the United States had
imperialist relationships with nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Motivations for Imperialism




Industrialized nations needed __________ such as rubber, copper, gold, and cotton
to make manufactured goods. Industrialized nations established colonies around the
world and relied on raw materials imported from colonies to make a variety of
products.
Many European countries held the belief that a large empire was needed in order to
be politically powerful. As European countries began expanding their empires,
other countries began expanding their empires as well in order to prevent one
country from becoming too powerful.
Another way Europeans justified their expansion into Africa and other areas was
the belief that they were bringing their own superior civilization to the lands they
conquered. Some used the theory of ______________________ to justify
European expansion. These people believed that European culture was superior to
other cultures, and that Europeans had the right to take over the lands of inferior
cultures.
The desire to spread ______________ was also a motivation for the imperialist
drive. Many European missionaries were sent to European colonies to teach native
peoples about Christianity. This partially done to curb the spread of Islam, a
religion that many Europeans feared because its teachings seemed so at odds with
many Christian beliefs.
Africa

Throughout the 1800s, European countries created great _____________ by
expanding their territorial claims in Africa. This desire for a large empire was
largely motivated by the belief that a large empire was needed in order to be
politically powerful. European countries were easily able to conquer areas in
Africa due to advanced technology, such as superior weapons, and transportation
NAME:_____________________________date:_______________ Grade 7 Guided Notes
2







technology such as the steamboat. The steamboat in particular allowed Europeans
to explore areas on the interior of the African continent.
European ________________ and ______________ was also responsible for
bringing positive changes to the African continent in the form of better medical
care. For example, Europeans found ways to treat tropical diseases such as
malaria. As Europeans began using quinine to treat malaria, they were able to
maintain their health. This was one of the factors that contributed to the successful
conquest of Africa by the Europeans.
In general, Europeans justified their expansion into Africa and other areas with the
belief that they were bringing their own superior civilization to the lands they
conquered. For this reason, one important aspect of
___________________________________ was the spread of Christianity.
From 1779-1878, the Cape _____________Wars were fought between the Dutch
and British colonists and South African Xhosa tribes. Dutch settlers and the Xhosa
began fighting because the Dutch were taking tribal land and stealing cattle. In the
early 1800s, the British joined the Dutch in fighting the Xhosa. By the 1850s,
Europeans had gained enough power to start their own white settlement known as
Cape Colony. The wars continued until the 1870s when the Europeans gained the
final victory.
In 1830, France invaded Algeria. Later it gained control of Tunisia, Morocco,
much of West Africa, French Somaliland, and Madagascar.
In 1875, Egypt sold its shares of the ______________ Canal to Great Britain in
order to pay off debts. The British gained complete control of the canal in the
1880s, and they were able to control an important trade route between Europe and
Asia. Great Britain was particularly interested in the canal because it shortened
travel time to India which was a British colony at the time.
In the 1800s, Great Britain wanted to colonize southern parts of the African
continent. The ______________empire already controlled the land in this area,
however, and fought in a war to oppose the colonization. The Zulus were defeated
by the British in 1879.
The time period between 1880 and 1914 is referred to as
the _______________________________________, in which European countries
competed to claim more African territory in an attempt to keep other countries
from gaining too much power. In 1884, 14 nations met in Berlin, Germany, to
NAME:_____________________________date:_______________ Grade 7 Guided Notes
3




divide the entire continent among the European powers. Within the next several
decades, European countries were in control of most of Africa.
King ______________________ II of Belgium personally owned an area known as
the Congo. He turned over control in 1908 to the Belgian government. The area
became known as the Belgian Congo.
In 1910, the Union of ___________________ was composed of Transvaal, the
Orange Free State, Cape Colony, and Natal. The white British and Dutch people in
the area denied rights to the blacks in South Africa. They were denied the right to
vote and faced discrimination.
The European countries justified their imperialist policies by saying that it was
good to bring civilization to the savage races. This world view is
"________centric," meaning that the Europeans viewed the world only through the
eyes of their own culture.
Looking at a map of colonized Africa, the borders seem to be drawn at random.
This is because they were _____________borders created by the colonization of
many different countries. By 1914, the only two independent countries left were
Ethiopia and Liberia.
Asia



In the 18th century, France and Britain fought for control of ____________. They
both wanted access to India's resources like sugar, salt, and tea. The British
__________India Company took control of India for Britain in the early
1800s. The Company worked like a government, planning defense, providing
services, and signing treaties with local rulers.
The establishment of new colonies and the increase in trading opportunities with
East Asia allowed Europeans to come into contact with many new cultural
traditions, including religion. For example, though ____________ is one of the
world's oldest religions, many Europeans did not come into contact with it until the
age of imperialism.
From 1839-1842, the _______________________ was fought between Britain and
China over trade rights. Britain wanted China's tea and silk, but the only thing
China would trade for was opium, an addictive drug. The drug began to damage
Chinese society, so the Qing banned the opium trade. Britain got upset and invaded
the country. It defeated the Chinese with its powerful military. The Treaty of
NAME:_____________________________date:_______________ Grade 7 Guided Notes
4





_________________________ officially ended the war, and was one of several
unequal treaties forced on Asian nations during the 1800s. As a part of the treaty,
China surrendered Hong Kong and gave Britain greater trading privileges in China.
The Second __________________ War started in 1856 when Britain felt that
China was interfering with its smuggling operation. The war ended in 1860 with
another treaty that gave Britain even more trading privileges and legalized the
opium trade, which benefited Britain and gave it access to China's resources.
The ________________were soldiers of the Bengal Army in India who began a
rebellion against the East India Company on May 10, 1857. The Sepoy Rebellion
is also known as India's First War of Independence because it is thought to be the
beginning of the independence movement in India. The rebellion began after new
rifles were introduced to the Sepoys. In order to load the rifle, the Sepoys needed
to bite the cartridge open. It was a common belief that the cartridges were greased
with pork and beef fat. Pork is regarded unclean by Muslims, and cow is
considered a sacred animal for Hindus. The Sepoys were angry because they
thought their religious beliefs were being violated. The Sepoy Rebellion was not
successful, but it inspired many revolts that finally led to India's independence.
As a result of self-imposed isolation, countries like Japan and China did not
modernize as early as the countries of the West. In 1867, due to a growing belief
that ______________- must modernize and industrialize in order to compete with
other world powers, the Japanese government reformed itself. This event was
known as the ________________________, and marked a time of increased
industrialization and modernization. Japan wanted to own more land, so it fought
China for control of Korea and Taiwan. It then defeated Russia in the RussoJapanese War of 1904–1905.
Almost immediately after forming the federation called French
________________(modern-day Vietnam and Cambodia), the nationalists in the
region began to fight with the French over self-government and civil rights. The
French kept control until after World War II.
Following the Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States was ceded control
of the ______________________by Spain. The people of the Philippines wanted
independence, however, and fought against American control. The PhilippineAmerican War was fought 1899 to 1902 and independence was denied to the
NAME:_____________________________date:_______________ Grade 7 Guided Notes
5

Philippines due to an American victory. The Philippines did not gain its
independence until 1946.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, China found itself fighting off Europeans and the
Japanese who all wanted control of China's precious resources. In 1900, a group
known as the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, nicknamed the Boxers, gained the
support of Empress Dowager Cixi, who declared war on the various foreign
powers occupying the country. The resulting uprising, known as
the ________________Rebellion, was quickly put down by the allied forces of
many Western European powers and Imperial Japan.
Latin America



In 1823, President James Monroe outlined his foreign policy in a speech given to
Congress. This policy became known as the Monroe _____________ It stated
European countries would no longer be allowed to create new colonies or to
interfere with the affairs of independent nations in the Western Hemisphere. The
United States was willing to fight to prevent new colonies from falling into
European control. This doctrine was used as justification for U.S. involvement in
the affairs of various countries in Latin America.
In 1898, the Spanish-________________War began when the United States
declared war on Spain. The U.S. wanted to protect its business interests in Cuba,
and it wanted to help Cuba gain independence from Spain.
President Taft's foreign policy was known as "dollar _____________________."
Taft believed that the U.S. should use its financial strength, not its military power,
to influence other countries. He encouraged Americans to invest money in foreign
markets, particularly in Latin America and Asia.