Introduction:
By definition, Imperialism is the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination. This "ism" is what this chapter of study is centered around. During the 19th century, Europe went through a stage that was very similar to the time of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan but instead of searching for a "new world", these Europeans were seeking to enlighten an old world that had been "in the dark" since the beginning of time. According to European standards, the entire continents of Africa and Asia, in some cases, were uncivilized and needed to be taught the ways of the modern world. Without asking the citizens of these continents if they wanted to be "civilized", the Europeans moved in taking the natural resources and exploiting the people. This blog will aim to describe the effects of Imperialism on the people and the countries which were infected with foreigners. EQ: How did the Europeans treat the Natives which made them oppressive? The answer to this question depends on which part of Africa it pertains to. For one example, in the Belgian Congo the foremen would cut off the hands and feet of the workers if they failed to reach their quota for the week. Many different countries dealt with the natives in different ways but this was one of the most brutal.
Toon Time:
In this cartoon, an African worker is being used to gain profit for the Europeans while the church official (Far Right) ignores the atrocity. The artist of this political cartoon was trying to depict how the Europeans only used the natives to gain the natural resources that they needed to gain wealth for their home country. I personally think that this cartoon is a very good description of the imperialistic views of the invading countries. They completely disregarded the natives as people and thought of them more as animals than anything else.
"White Man's Burden" depicts the leaders or "mascot" of major world powers at the time as being carried on the backs of their colonies. The artist of this cartoon was trying to describe the living conditions of the people in the colonies. How the only chance of survival they had is if they worked themselves to the bone in order to reach their goal set by the Europeans that ruled over them. The presence of Uncle Sam in this cartoon presents an opinion that we have not yet come across. The opinion that the United States was also guilty of imperialism though not in Africa but in Latin America.
Modern Imperialism
This current political cartoon shows former President George W. Bush concerning the United States' actions concerning Iraq. The artist of this picture is depicting the reaction of other middle eastern countries to the actions of the US. I find this ironic because many of our allies did not support our actions in Iraq and the assumption that the implementation of democracy in the Middle-East would catch on let alone spread to other countries of that region. One part of Imperialism is the forcing of the beliefs of the parent-country on the colonies and in the case of Iraq, the United States did just that.
Do you think the United States is/ has been imperialistic?
I believe that the United States has imperialistic tendencies, but is not wholly imperialistic. Because America is such a diverse nation and every nation is represented in the population, it would be hard for the government to severely oppress any group of people, though it has been done before. America isn't an imperialistic nation because America doesn't take away an occupied country's sovereignty. If anything we try to improve their way of living. Another reason why America is not an imperialistic nation is that our country was formed on certain freedoms that cannot be taken away, and taking these same rights away from others would take away the validity of our freedom. On the other hand, the United States sees that the democratic form of government is the best form of government for everyone no matter what because it has worked so well for us. When it comes to foreign affairs, the US is not shy at all. We are very willing to intervene at the drop of the hat if the reason is good enough. Finally, our strong military shows that opposition to our rule would be crushed. This asserts our confidence in our reasons for occupying a certain country.
Parallel Events:
American Civil War (1861-1865)
While all of Europe was fighting over Africa and collecting their new found riches, Americans were fighting amongst themselves. The South wanted to succeed from the North over States' rights, slavery and many other things. The twenty-five northern states (the Union) fought against the eleven southern states (the Confederacy). It was an overall Union victory leaving the South in need of a drastic reconstruction. This Civil War would severely impact the relations between the two regions for many generations and it still dictates some of the racist views of the region today. The Civil War stands out in history as the war where brother fought against brother and father against son.
Europe attempted to expand south into Africa, but America expanded west into the terrain of the Great Plains of the Midwest and the majestic slopes of the Rocky Mountains. One of the most well-traveled paths into the west was the Oregon Trail. It was the oldest of the northern commercial and emigrant trails and was originally discovered and used by fur trappers and traders in the fur trade. It later allowed for wagon travel and settlers used it to venture into the wilderness beyond the East Coast. It follows the Missouri River for a large part of the trip but later travels through rocky terrain. It opened the west to a variety of people and occupations.
Rebellion!
Indian Rebellion of 1857:
This uprising began as a mutiny in the Sepoys (Indians trained by the British) after rumors circulated that their rifles were stuffed with lard and beef fat. Since cows are sacred to Hindus and the pigs to the Muslims, this caused uprising. Over time, it became more organized and the rebellion soon took control of cities such as Delhi and Kanpur. Lakshmibai, The Rani of Jhansi, was one of the principal leaders of the rebellion who earlier had lost her kingdom as a result of the Doctrine of Lapse and was opposed by Charles Canning, the Governor-General of India during the rebellion. The Rebellion was soon crushed by the British which led to atrocities committed against the Sepoys.
Current Unrest:
With the chain of uprisings in the Middle-East in the last few months, many countries have seen drastic changes in how their countries are governed. Egypt was the spark plug for this new movement. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12289475 This is a link on the news story from the beginning. Main players in this revolution was former President Hosni Mubarak who eventually stepped down from power. Mohamed ElBaradei was an important figure in the opposition to Mubarak. The civilians who practiced civil disobedience were very successful. They are expected to have democratic elections in the next couple of months. Egypt has served as a model for other Middle-Eastern and African nations to take a stand.
Suez Canal:
The Suez Canal is a sea-level passage connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is approximately 101 mi. long and serves as the only water way connecting Europe to Asia without going around Africa. It is controlled by the Suez Canal Authority and owned by Arab Republic of Egypt. The canal allows for ships 240000 deadweight tons and a maximum height of 68 m above the water level. Proves to be a time-saving route to get from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to India.
3.2.1
3 things I learned
1. I learned that imperialism had long-lasting impacts on the society and culture of Africa.
2. I learned that it wasn't just world powers who had colonies, almost every European country had some kind of colony somewhere in the world.
3. Finally, I learned that due to the Industrial Revolution, the people changed how they saw life. They were mostly concerned with their own fortunes rather than what kind of human beings they were
2 things that interested me
1. I thought that connection between the problems in Africa today and how they were treated during the age of imperialism was very interesting. They are very similar ways of warfare and war crimes.
2. The creation of the Suez Canal was the passage to the East Indies that Columbus and the other explorers were searching for.
1 question I still have
1. Did the age of imperialism spread to South America?
