Download Imperialism Notes Key

IMPERIALISM NOTES
NAME _________________________________________
DATE: ________
PART I: FILL IN THE BLANK. The motives of European imperialism are listed below. Use the
word bank to help you fill in each blank.
1. Economic
By the 19th century (1800s), European nations, like Great Britain and France, experienced an
Industrial Revolution and became “developed” nations. The Industrialized Revolution in Europe
created an increased need for natural resources, such as rubber and petroleum (gas). In addition,
industrialized nations like Great Britain needed new markets to sell manufactured goods. They
could sell their goods to undeveloped nations.
Increased
Natural Resources
Industrialized
New Markets
Industrial Revolution
Undeveloped
Manufactured Goods
2. Exploratory
Imperial nations or their citizens wanted to explore territory that was, to them, unknown.
Sometimes they did this for the purpose of medical or scientific research. At other times, they did
it for the sense of adventure. Invariably, imperial explorers sought to discover, map, and claim
territory before their imperial competition did, partly for national and personal glory and partly
to serve the imperialist goal of expansion.
Adventure
Explore
Claim
Glory
Competition
Scientific
Expansion
3. Ethnocentric (White Man’s Burden)
Imperial nations believed their cultural values or beliefs were superior to other nations or groups.
Imperial conquest, they believed, would bring successful culture to inferior people. In the late
19th century, European powers and the US clung to the racist belief that inferior races should be
conquered in order to “civilize” them. The Europeans and the US acted on their ethnocentrism,
or belief that one race or a nation is superior to another.
Civilize
Inferior
Conquered
Racist
Conquest
Superior
Culture
Values
Ethnocentrism
IMPERIALISM NOTES
NAME _________________________________________
DATE: ________
4. Political/Nationalism
Patriotism and growing imperial power spurred countries to compete with others for supremacy.
It was a matter of national pride, prestige, and security. Empires sought strategic territory to
ensure access for their armies and navies around the world. The empire must be defended, and
better yet, expanded.
Armies
Patriotism
Empire
Pride
Expanded
Security
Navies
Supremacy
5. Religious
During imperial expansion, religious people sometimes set out to convert new members of their
religion and, thus, their empire. For example, Christian missionaries from Europe established
churches in conquered territories during the nineteenth century (1800s). In doing so, they also
spread Western cultural values. Typically, missionaries spread the imperial nation’s language
through educational and religious interactions, although some missionaries helped to preserve
indigenous languages. British missionaries led the charge to stop the slave trade in the nineteenth
century, while others, such as French missionaries in Vietnam during the same time period,
clamored for their country to take over a nation.
Churches
Missionaries
Convert
Religious
Empire
Values
Language
Vietnam
PART II: THINK INK SHARE. Use your prior knowledge & what you learned in class in order to
answer the question below in 5-7 complete sentences.
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What is imperialism in your own words?
What motivated European nations to become imperial powers?
How will imperialism impact Asia, specifically China, Japan & India?
Imperialism is when stronger nations attempt to expand and create empires by dominating weaker,
inferior nations. Economic factors were just one reason why European nations wanted to expand their
empires; they had an increased need for natural resources (like rubber and petroleum) and, due to
becoming more industrialized, needed new markets to sell their manufactured goods. European nations
also oftentimes wanted to explore unknown lands for medical and scientific research purposes as well as
claim new territories simply before their imperial competitors could. In addition, because imperial nations
believed their religious beliefs and cultural values were superior to other nations, they felt it was their
dutiful obligation to spread their values and culture to inferior races in order to make them more
“civilized” (ethnocentrism). Furthermore, nationalism and a desire to expand/defend their growing
military attributed to European nations’ imperialistic motivation. Because of its favorable location,
plentiful bounty of natural resources and perceived uncultivated/uncivilized nature, Asia (especially
China and India) was particularly targeted and dominated by more industrialized Western European
nations. Because of its remote location, Japan, too, was able to imperialize by taking over parts of China
as well as North and South Korea, yet resist political and military domination by other nations.