Chapter Nine

Imperialism, Colonialism, and Resistance in the Nineteenth Century

 

Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century

  • 1800 Euro + overseas = 55% of world land mass; 1867 = 67%; 1914 = 84%
  • 1870 only 10% of Africa colonized; 1895 90% under Euro control
  • British settlement in Australia started in 1788; until 1870 Brit was dominant imperialist power

New Imperialism in Asia and the Indies

  • 240 000 square miles annexed each year
  • China lost control of trade within its own borders due to the Opium Wars (Brits, French…)
  • Manchu dynasty pressured by Euro and American interests/by intra-state war – fell 1911
  • After Meiji Restoration in 1868 Japan started industrial/political development and reform and by 1890s it had become an imperial power

New Imperialism in Africa

  • 40 years before world war one Africa divided amongst Euro nations with little regard for boarders
  • 1880s + Euros competed frantically for colonies in Africa
  • Key event in race for colonization in Africa – Berlin Conference 1884-1885 – Bismarck called reps from 15 nations to deal with rival claims
  • Discovery of diamond/gold in South Africa made region important and conflict between Brits and Boers lead to Boer War 1899-1902

The Partition of Africa

  • For Brits Africa reps strategic interest because the continent’s shoreline was route to India
  • To contend with unrest colonial powers went deeper into Africa and formally made colonies out of areas of interest

 

Change and Continuity: Causes of Imperialism

Unequal Power Relations

  • Level of success of dominant power often attributed to level of technological advancement
  • Brit dominated world empire building for first ¾ of century (manufacture/military tech)
  • “new imperialism” of 19th century was another example of consequences of unequal power

Nationalism and Geopolitics

  • Eurocentric view – motive for colonization was political; colonies were bargaining chip, prestige, nationalism, geopolitical significance
  • Some believed that Europeans had the right to be imperialistic
  • Other theory by J.A. Hobson argues that the motive was economic; investment

 

Unco-operative Colonies

China

  • Chinese self-sufficient and Manchu dynasty discouraged Western trade
  • Brits created demand for Opium; Opium Wars 1839-1842 and took control of trading centre of Hong Kong in treaty of Nanking 1842
  • As response to Western trade – anti-monarchist Taiping rebellion from 1850-1864

India: A Case Study

  • Brits were slowly increasing influence since 1600s; East India Company forged alliances with local rulers
  • British East India Company secured eco control of Indian subcontinent by 1780s
  • English education became an issue and proved to be beneficial to those who supported it during movements of Indian independence
  • Hindu practice of sati banned and new 1856 law for widows to remarry
  • General Service Enlistment Act forced Indian soldiers to accept service anywhere in Brit Emp.
  • Westernizing economy, administration, law, education, religion – sense of losing tradition/values
  • Mutiny of 1857 – uprising, restore Mogul ruler – unorganized/no real effort to get Brit out
  • Brit put mutineers to death and battles continued in north/central India until 1858
  • Government of India Act 1858 – transferred all rights of EIC directly to crown

Jamaica

  • 1865 conflict b/w black peasants and white landowners – 18 deaths
  • Governor Edward John Eyre – martial law for 6 weeks; 439 killed, 650 flogged, 1000 houses burned
  • Elective legislative assembly disbanded, Jamaica returned to crown colony status, ruled from London until 1884

 

The Legacy of Imperialism

  • Conquest/disease decimated Ameridian population & demographic altered by Euro/slave migration
  • ↑ Euro settlement/capitalist production pushed Native Americans into reserves
  • Conflict over lead – bloody wars and Natives forced to dependent eco/political status
  • Asia/Africa imperial control lead to eco, political, social, cultural changes to indigenous people

The Economic Legacy

  • Imperialism increased dependent relationship by incorporating colonies into capitalist system
  • Industrial Rev. – colonies used to rep sources of commodities but now potential markets for manufactured goods (commercial capitalism to industrial capitalism)
  • Laissez fair was an economic doctrine – free trade become new eco doctrine
  • Colonies became exporters of raw materials because some could not keep up with manufacturers; also became markets for manufactured goods
  • Before non-westerners were using subsistence agriculture; imperialist powers forced Native people to change to producing agriculture for export
  • Created big market for colonial powers but created dependency in colonies
  • Impact of imperialism was very strong – effects and global relations are still seen today

The Cultural Legacy of Imperialism

  • Language went under extreme changes when subjected to Euro rule
  • Indigenous language relegated to second-class status in favour of language of the Euro power that ruled the colony
  • Euros exported Christianity to colonies; Christianity used for justification of massacres, racial discrimination, cruelty, regressive social policies

Imperialism and Non-Western Art

  • Art produced for export to Euro nations and thus had to reflect Euro tastes
  • 19th had fascination with chinoiserie (Chinese art/decoration)

The Social Legacy of Imperialism

  • White/non-White migration changed ethnic compositions; many colonies has transformation of land and pop by White immigrants
  • Euro imperialism and migration of Whites usually linked but also agents for forced migration
  • Gang labour was common in plantations, mining, construction

Indentured Labour

  • Most extensively organized system of migrant labour from India and China (contract to work)
  • 1830-1870 1-2 million were sent from India to various British colonies and continued to 1920s
  • Mid-19th century 42 thousand Chinese miners in Australian gold fields

 Immigration and the White Dominions

  • Voluntary migration of non-Whites to “White” dominions of British Crown/United States closed off  by exclusionary immigration policies – whites only policies
  • British government mad and dominions found new ways to exclude non-White immigrants

Apartheid: Legacy of Imperialism

  • 1867 rich diamond deposits found in South Africa
  • Africans were put into the compound system and paid very low wages
  • Eco/social changes raised conflict b/w the Boers and the British (mined by Brits, land was Boers)
  • Lead to Boer War 1899-1902 and Boers surrendered
  • New Union of South Africa denied African all political rights
  • 1913 Land Act gave only 13% of land to Africans
  • Apartheid made segregation reality of South Africa

 

Agents of Human Rights Advancement

Resistance to Imperialism

  • Colonized people became involved in resistance to foreign Euro invasion – foundation for colonial nationalist movements in Asia and Africa
  • Age of Revolutions in Euro 1789-1848 had impact on Euros relationship with the world
  • Decolonization/emancipation grew with first Industrial Revolution in Britain 1780-1950

The Abolition of Slavery

  • Slavery abolished in British Empire in 1834…
  • Attacks of slavery: economic conditions, anti-slavery movements, slave resistance

The Slave Revolution in Haiti 1791

  • Minority of French planters ruled 800 000 slaves; hostile to oppression of New World slavery
  • During French Rev, Toussaint L’Ouverture and slaves defeated French, Brit, Spanish attempts to suppress their revolution
  • Toussaint helped French abolish slavery but was imprisoned by Napoleon

Slavery in the British West Indies

  • Brits abolished slave trade 1807; in BWI slave uprisings still occurred
  • Sam Sharpe used rumor that Brits abolished slavery to fuel a rebellion – unsuccessful
  • Slavery completely abolished in British Empire on January 1, 1835

Slavery in the United States

  • Slavery provoked the American Civil War 1861-1865
  • The Underground Railroad helped slaves reach freedom in north US and Canada
  • Lincoln and north states claimed to be fighting to restore Union and no end slavery
  • 1863 Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves – war against slavery

 

The Legacy of Emancipation

The British West Indies

  • Eco decline was blamed on the former slaves and estate owners imported indentured workers from India
  • With decline in West Indian sugar economy many viewed emancipation as a failure

Segregation and the American South

  • Reconstruction in 1865-1876; land redistribution, political/civil rights to African-Americans
  • Jim Crow legislation 1890s – racial segregation incorporated into the law (KKK…)

Decolonization in Latin America

  • 1808, 1825 liberation of Spain’s American colonies

 

The Struggle For An Independent Latin America

  • Mexican landholders declared themselves independent from Spain in 1821

Simon Bolivar: The Great Liberator

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