Causes of Imperialism
What is one economic reason countries wanted to control colonies?
Access to raw materials (like coal, rubber, oil) and new markets to sell goods.
Name one valuable natural resource in Africa that Europeans wanted.
Gold, diamonds, rubber (any correct example).
Name one part of India’s diversity (language, religion, caste) that the British had to manage.
Religious diversity (Hinduism, Islam, others), many languages, and the caste system.
Name one economic reason the United States became interested in Cuba before the war.
Protecting U.S. investments in Cuban sugar, tobacco, and trade interests.
Name one method people used to resist imperial trade control (example: boycotts or smuggling).
Boycotts, smuggling, establishing direct trade with other countries, strikes.
What is one political/military reason countries competed for colonies?
To gain military bases and strategic positions; to show national strength.
Give one environmental feature (example: rivers, deserts, rainforests) and explain how it helped or hindered European colonization.
helped travel and trade; Rainforests — made movement difficult and slowed conquest.
Give one example of a British policy influenced by India’s religious diversity.
Creating separate legal codes for different religious communities (personal law) or allowing religious courts for family matters.
What was one political or ideological reason (like Manifest Destiny) that helped push the U.S. toward war with Spain?
Belief in spreading American values and increasing national power (expansionist ideas like Manifest Destiny applied overseas).
How did resistance movements change trade relationships after colonies became independent?
Former colonies built new trade partnerships and sought economic independence from former imperial powers.
What does “cultural superiority” mean and how did it justify imperialism?
How did European powers use existing divisions among African ethnic groups when taking control?
Europeans allied with some groups or used rivalries to divide and conquer, making it easier to control areas.
Explain how the British used legal or administrative systems to manage different religious communities in India.
The British often allowed different communities to follow their customary laws for marriage, inheritance, and religion while imposing British criminal and revenue systems.
Give one short-term effect of the Spanish-American War on U.S. power.
The U.S. gained territories (Puerto Rico, Guam); it became more involved overseas.
Describe one long-term economic effect of resistance to imperial trade policies.
Many nations formed trade alliances or diversified partners to reduce dependence on imperial powers
Explain how industrialization made countries want to acquire colonies.
Factories needed raw materials and new markets; industrial nations wanted colonies for resources and customers.
Explain why the Suez Canal was important to European imperial interests.
The Suez Canal shortened the sea route to Asia, making trade and military movement faster and more valuable to control.
Describe an example of how linguistic diversity influenced British decisions about schooling or administration.
British appointed officials and used English in courts and schools, sometimes teaching in local languages where useful; they created administrative districts that grouped languages for governance.
Give one long-term effect of the Spanish-American War on U.S. foreign policy or territory.
The U.S. became a global power with overseas territories and increased influence in Latin America and the Pacific.
Why were smuggling networks important?
Smuggling networks allowed local merchants to bypass imperial tariffs and trade controls, undermining imperial revenue and control.
Describe how competition between nations (nationalism) led to imperial expansion.
Nations wanted more colonies than rivals to show power; this rivalry pushed countries to seize territory.
Describe one way Africa’s cultural diversity affected European decisions about where to colonize.
Europeans chose areas with fragmented leadership or used local rulers to govern indirectly; cultural differences were used to justify dividing territories.
Explain how the British used the caste system or divisions among groups to maintain political control (include one specific impact on Indian society).
The British used the caste system and communal divisions to play groups against each other (divide and rule), which reduced unified resistance and changed social structures (e.g., officials favored some groups for jobs, which caused social tension).
Explain how protecting U.S. business interests and political goals together led the U.S. to become more imperialistic.
Business interests wanted stability and access to markets; political leaders used this and nationalist ideas to justify intervention and expansion.
Explain how boycotts or direct foreign trade could weaken imperial control and help colonies build new economies.
Boycotts reduced profits for imperial businesses; direct trade with others created alternative markets and weakened imperial economic monopolies.