Lukas+S.

 __Imperialism Around the Globe__Imperialism is the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region.

**__ Causes of Imperialism: __** __Economic Interests Spur Expansion__- The Industrial Revolution caused the need for overseas natural resources and target markets.

__Politcal and Military Motives__- Steam-powered naval ships needed places to dock for supplies and fuel.

__Humanitarian and Religious Goals__- Western missionaries believed it was up to them to spread the "blessings" of medicine, law, and Christianity.

__Applying Social Darwinism-__ Westerners used Darwin's law of survival of the fittest and applied it to society. Europeans believed they were the superior race.

__** Why Europeans Were Able to Conquer: **__ The Non-Western states were too much weaker than the Europeans to stop imperialism. Most of the older civilizations were in decline in areas such as Africa, China, and some Middle East countries. The causes of this decline were the wars the African people fought with each other, as well as the slave trade.

The Europeans were much stronger and had other technological advances over the Non-Western states. They had stronger economies and large militaries. They also had the inventions of the telegraph and riverboats on their side to make travel and communication easier. They were able to fight off a lot of new diseases with the advancements they made in medicine. They also had extremely powerful weapons such as the Maxim machine guns.

**// __Europe's Justification__ //** European countries started imperialism in other countries because they felt the need to strengthen their own nations. They also saw great economic opportunities such as a source of cheap supplies to fuel their industries. The Europeans justified imperialism by claiming they had a duty to teach the foreign peoples about Christianity. They believed it was their mission to convert them into Christians.

**//__ Imperialism Through the Victim's Eyes __//** The people in African and other areas that were affected did not want the European invaders to take over their land. They believed they had the right to freedom and to govern themselves. They were also slaves in the slave trade to other countries. Most of them tried to fight off the Europeans however only Ethiopia and Liberia succeeded.

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Effects of Imperialism: **  
 * 
 * The Europeans brought over many new diseases to the areas they influenced, especially Africa.
 * However, they also brought over new and advanced medicines and technologies.
 * European Imperialism had a major influence on the popularity of the slave trade.
 * Many tribes and cultures were lost forever due to the wars caused by Imperialism.
 * The main effect of imperialism that is still with us today is the hatred of racism.

__Resources Used to Help Create This Page:__

1. www.wikipedia.com 2. www.youtube.com 3. www.encyclopedia.farlex.com 4. Esler, Ellis. __World History: The Modern Era__. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 388-398.