Key Concepts of Imperialism
What is imperialism?
The expansion of a nation’s power and control over other territories.
What raw material did Britain seek in India to support its textile industry?
Cotton.
What company initially controlled large parts of India for Britain?
The British East India Company.
What was the “Scramble for Africa”?
The rapid colonization and division of Africa by European powers.
What drug did Britain use to trade for Chinese tea?
Opium
What is “New Imperialism”?
The period of intensified territorial expansion by European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
How did the Industrial Revolution drive imperialism?
It created a demand for raw materials and markets for manufactured goods.
What rebellion was sparked by British insensitivity to Indian soldiers’ beliefs?
The Sepoy Rebellion.
What African country resisted colonization and remained independent?
Ethiopia.
What war resulted from Britain’s opium trade in China?
The Opium Wars.
What phrase justified the European “civilizing mission”?
The White Man’s Burden.
What meeting divided Africa among European powers?
The Berlin Conference.
What term describes British direct rule over India after the Sepoy Rebellion?
The British Raj.
What resources made Africa attractive to European powers?
Gold, diamonds, rubber, and ivory.
What treaty opened multiple Chinese ports to Britain?
The Treaty of Nanjing.
What 19th-century theory suggested stronger nations were naturally superior?
Social Darwinism.
What resource drove Britain’s involvement in the Opium Wars with China?
Tea and the opium trade.
Name one infrastructure improvement Britain introduced to India during imperialism.
Railroads or telegraph lines.
What canal was critical for Britain to control trade routes to India?
The Suez Canal.
What area of China did foreign powers control without outright colonization?
Spheres of influence.
Name two tools of imperialism made possible by the Industrial Revolution.
Steamships and telegraph.
How did national rivalries contribute to imperialism?
Countries competed to build empires to demonstrate power and prestige.
How did imperialism impact India’s local industries?
It led to the decline of local industries, like textiles, due to competition with British goods.
What conference decided African borders without African input?
The Berlin Conference.
What rebellion in China opposed foreign influence and Christianity?
The Boxer Rebellion.