Category: American Imperialism

Introduction

Drug abuse in America started around the 1890s and has evolved greatly since then. The first signs of drug abuse date back to the 1890s when cocaine was sold in a Sears catalog in a small needle. Drug abuse started to take a toll in the 1800s when opium and morphine were heavily used and starting addictions.

Imperialistic Roots of Drug Abuse and Policy Evolution

By 1890, the first congressional act was made to tax the drugs. In 1909, using and possessing opium was illegal, but it was still allowed to be used medically. By the time Prohibition came around, all liquor was illegal, along with cocaine and the production of opioids. The Cannabis Act of 1937 did not ban cannabis but taxed it heavily, and if taxes weren’t paid, you could spend up to 5 years in jail. When Richard Nixon took office in the 1970s, he had enough of drug abuse. He passed the Controlled Substance Act, which regulated laws on certain drugs and substances. He then created drug schedules that tell how highly addictive it is and how dangerous it is. Drug abuse in America went on for decades, which created many laws and acts to be passed.

Impact of Imperialistic Ventures on Drug Trade

In 1971, Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs, stating that “they are public enemy number one.” The rise in the use of recreational drugs in the ’60s is most likely what led to Nixon declaring War. Part of the War’s actions was to create additional funding for federal drug agencies and create mandatory prison sentences and consequences for those who committed crimes involving drugs. During the War on Drugs, Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which is still in effect today. They are responsible for taking on drug smuggling and drug use in the United States. Originally, the DEA only consisted of 1,470 members and a 75 million dollar budget, but today, they have over 5,000 members and a 2.03 billion dollar budget. The War on Drugs is still in effect today and has had its good and bad impacts on society.

Globalization, Imperialism, and Modern Drug Trade

In the 1980’s President Ronald Reagan started the “Just Say No” campaign. Its intentions were to educate children on drugs and the effects of drug abuse. In 1986, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which set minimum sentences for drug offenses. The law was considered “racist” because many African Americans used crack cocaine, which led to them being sentenced to prison, while white Americans who used powder cocaine were sentenced to a shorter sentence. Critics also claimed that blacks were being racially profiled because many of them were sent to prison for drug suspicion.

By the 21st century, the War on Drugs is an unknown thing. Most people consider it to have created a racial divide in the country. However, there is a slim amount of people who still share support. One of the most recent acts that have degraded the War on Drugs is the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the sentences on crack cocaine and powder cocaine from 100:1 to 18:1. Also, the recent legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has taken its toll on the War. The “Just Say No” campaign is a thing of the past, along with the War on Drugs, as they are fought with less intensity.

Conclusion

The schedules of drugs are based on how they are used medically, how addictive they are, and the laws on the drug in other countries. Schedule I drugs are known to be highly addictive and provide no medical use. Drugs in Schedule One consist of things like ecstasy and heroin. While schedule two are still highly addictive and provide minimal medical use, they consist of drugs like morphine and methamphetamine. Schedule three, however, is not that addictive and widely used in the medical field.

Drugs in the schedule consist of ketamine and testosterone. ScheduleSchedule four drugs have a low abuse rate and are widely used in the medical field and widely accepted. Last of all, the schedules are in number five. The drugs in this schedule have little to no abuse and are accepted into the medical field; some of these drugs are Robitussin and Lyrica. The schedules of drugs helped declare how addictive they are and their purpose of them.

References

1. Belenko, S. (2017). America’s War on Drugs: Policy and Implementation. In J. F. Donohue III & J. P. Pfaff (Eds.), Controversies in Criminal Law: Philosophical Essays on Responsibility and Procedure (pp. 229-248). Oxford University Press.
2. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (n.d.). About DEA. https://www.dea.gov/about
3. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (n.d.). Drug Scheduling. https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling

Introduction

What does Imperialism really stand for? Taking over some colonies or countries for expansion and becoming a great world power. This topic was debated in the Senate for over 32 days. Imperialism became a big debate on June 15, 1898. This was the time when the anti-imperialist group stood up against the idea of American Annexation. This was also called the American Anti-Imperialist League. This group of people was all against the idea that taking the colonies under control would make America a powerful nation. They thought that this would affect democratic principles to annex lands and not give people the same rights as the US people. The anti-imperialists were also afraid that having an empire would involve more war.

Body

The Imperialism Debate: Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists

Seeing who were the people supporting each side, here they are Imperialists- Mc Kinley, Mahan, and Roosevelt; Anti-Imperialist-Carnegie, Bryan, and Mark Twain. The main highlights were Roosevelt and Mark Twain as protagonist and antagonist pair. Imperialism was on the side where all people thought of taking the small islands and colonies and ruling them under the US government and making advancements in economic and cultural growth. This was basically forcing American culture on people. Mahan had thought that if a country had a great navy and military power, nothing could stop it from becoming a world power. On the other side, there were anti-imperialists whose thinking was the opposite of imperialists. Twain thinks that it is wrong to force culture on someone else. It is a violation of the democratic principles of the American Constitution. They all contributed something to Imperialism and made their viewpoint clear.

Imperialists’ Motivations and Arguments

Imperialists argued that this was the way to improve and make a stronger economy for the United States. By getting the lands in control, we can sell the manufactured goods from the US to them and also get more production opportunities and make more money. They also argued that it was a way to increase the military power of our country. Let’s see how it’s a good way to increase military power; when they conquer a land, they must keep it safe from other countries trying to get it, and so they will have to keep some military bases on the islands they conquered. For that, they will need more military, and as they keep on adding land under control, they will have to increase their military. Like this, Mahan thought that having a great Military and Navy makes a country powerful. This was the second argument of the Imperialists. Now, the third one was that they must civilize the rest of the world. They said Christians have the duty to civilize people all around the world. This was possible when they had the territories under the control of the US. They would have forced the American culture on people.

Anti-Imperialists’ Critiques and Rationale

Anti-imperialists were opposite to the ideas of imperialists. They disagreed with all the arguments and had their own arguments. The moral and political argument was expanding was a violation of the principle of US “liberty to all.” This will be because America will rule the land it has but will not give equal rights to the people living there. They will force them to Americanize and want them to do what they have been said. A racial argument was there that if the US took the land under control, they already thought that they were of higher authority and the other people were under them. Also, it was a time when we had racism everywhere, and with foreign land came foreign other people. There was the point where Imperialism also got fired up with racism. As imperialists thought, economic growth would occur, and we would be good economically, but there was also a chance that the other laborers would compete for jobs with the American laborers. These were three arguments of Anti-imperialists.

Yellow Journalism and the Spanish-American War

Then, there was journalism going on with fake news to get people’s attention to its newspaper. Yellow Press reported that Spain had exploded a mysterious battleship, USS Maine. That fired off the US, and they declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898. This war is called Spanish- American War. In the war, the United States defeated Spain and became a world power. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines became colonies of the US. The US said they would give Cuba independence from Spain. Later, Cuba gained independence, but now it has become a protectorate of the US, which means the US will protect Cuba but also rule it partially. The Philippines wanted independence and later declared war on the US. By this war, the Imperialist side was strengthened in debate, and the US started expansionism, but they got more into the war. The country that wanted to be neutral is now going to war because of ideas of Imperialism.

Philippines-American War and Its Influence

On February 2, 1899, the Philippines declared war against the US. This was a fight for the independence of the Philippines. This war for the US was most important because if we won the war, we could have our desire for commercial opportunities in Asia completed. We thought that Filipinos were not capable of self-rule. The US was also afraid that if we didn’t take control over the Islands, some other power like Germany or Japan would take over it and become a world power. This war lasted for three years; there were 200,000 Filipinos suffering from this war.

After Spanish American War, when the US was in the debate about annexation, the Philippines took control over half of the Islands. When the US came to know about this, the war broke out. Here, the US had all military advancements: undeniable military power, new weapons with ammunitions, a well-trained military force, etc. On the other side were Filipinos who had no support from outside, had shortages of weapons, suffered from diseases, etc. This was a one-sided war as the US was stronger than the Philippines. This war gave rise to the side of Anti-imperialists as they said this would take the US to more wars. There was racism and white man supremacy going on through war as the US military treated Filipinos badly.

Imperialism, on the other side, gave markets to the companies to sell their goods and become rich. The money and military-led American Imperialism into the Gilded Age. Gilded means something gold-plated, but there is something dark inside of it. This era was called the Gilded Age because many people became rich by expanding their businesses overseas at this time because of Imperialism. Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Rockefeller were some of the businessmen of that age. The US society looked good, and people were getting rich, but on the other side, there were people living in poverty for whom no one cared.

This is the main reason why this era was called the Gilded Age; it looked like gold from the outside, but inside was a darkness of poverty. Currently, there is not a lot of difference between Democrats and Republicans; both parties support businesses and ignore the poor. Democrats believed in laissez-faire and not a lot of government interference in the business and economic market. The Old South and Urban areas supported them because they did not agree with the ethics of English-only Schools and prohibition. While Republicans were supported by the big businessmen and middle-class people as they supported the social control laws.

Conclusion

As the time flew, the debate changed. There were sides stronger than the other. As Imperialism grew, the argument of imperialists became truer. Their arguments did come out to be true. First, there was a debate between Imperialists and Anti-imperialists, but now this debate went through the parties Democratic and Republican Parties. I think Imperialism was the reason we would have more wars. As we are free, the other nations also want their own independence, and for that, they will fight back, and as a result, both nations lose many people’s lives. Yellow journalism was fake journalism, which created content that was so cruel and wrong that people could give the news more interest.

This was also a reason that led us to the Spanish-American War and later to the Philippines-American War. If Americans followed the Anti-Imperialist, the whole scenario would have been different. The problems at our home would have been solved instead of spending lots of money on foreign and wars. Poverty would have gotten the attention of the businessmen who could have helped instead of living on their own. We would have gotten into less wars. Anti-Imperialists had their points, but to grow as a nation, we also needed economic markets, which Imperialism gave us.

References

1. Tamaqua Area School District. (2019). The Age of Imperialism. Retrieved from https://www.tamaqua.k12.pa.us/cms/lib07/PA01000119/Centricity/Domain/119/TheAgeofImperialism.pdf
2. TimeToast. (2019). American Imperialism: 1890-1920 Timeline. Retrieved from https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/american-imperialism-1890-1920
3. Prezi. (2019). Basics of Imperialism. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/xkx5n7f9ingx/basics-of-imperialism/

Introduction

The word ‘Progressivism’ comes from the root meaning of ‘progress.’ This term “.. first entered British political discouragement in the late 1880s.” (Kloppenberg, 1988, pg. 300) It generally focused on the advancement and progress of human conditions, whether it was in terms of science, economic development, or social organizations. In light of this idea, the political party was born in 1912.

Origins and Ideals of American Imperialism and Progressivism

Contrarily, ImperialismImperialism was a policy that focused on elevating the power and influence of a country through diplomacy or military force. Because the use of power was always involved, ImperialismImperialism has been considered morally reprehensible.
During the late 19th and early 20th century, both were linked together as they helped bring great power and status to the United States. In the book In Return to First Principles, Gerald E.Markowitz said, “ Between 1898 and 1917, American progressives developed an imperial attitude.” (Markowitz, 1975, pg 257) Both had the goal that within twenty years, America would be the world’s leading economic power. “They joined others in defining commercial expansion overseas as the essential normal functioning of the economy.” (Markowitz, 1975, pg 257)

Imperialism had a very long history with a profound impact on the United States and beyond the Pacific Ocean. According to the American diplomatic historian George Herring, ImperialismImperialism was just what the doctor ordered to help America get out of its depression. Other historians, notably Kristin Hoganson, imply that America embarked on imperial adventures partly so that American men could prove to themselves how manly they were. E.g., joining the Navy. It started in the 1890s when the Americans had the intent to push westward and conquer territory. At this time, America was going through a decade of crises in many ways.

One of the primary causes of the phenomenon of American Imperialism was economics. It was the industrial age and economic growth that caused a huge demand for raw materials to feed factories and the need for new markets to sell products. Imperialism had the mentality of “this is our playground and our sphere of influence.” It saw war as an avenue to strengthen American power by dominating other countries’ economies, traditions, principles, and politics to become like the United States. Some obvious victims of ImperialismImperialism were the native americans, and we can also include the Mexicans, who lost their sovereignty after 1848.

American Imperialism’s Pursuit of Power and Influence

‘‘The Spanish-American war’ was one of the new imperialism actions, as well. President William McKinley responded cautiously to the Spanish war with a demand that Spain get out of Cuba or face war. Spain, as George Herring put it, “preferred the honor of war to the ignominy of surrender.” It was a war of the Monroe Doctrine, a war of raw materials and new markets, and a war of economics and control to get the U.S. to put its footprint in Cuba, Hawaii, Spain, etc. Quoting from William’s excerpt, “Spain was the first, for a long time the greatest, of the modern imperialistic states.”(Sumner, 1899) Another example was the American annexation of Hawaii in 1998, which later became a state in 1859, two years before President Obama was born! “In the context of this intensified attention on the Far East, McKinley submitted a treaty to annex the Hawaiian Islands in 1897.” (Markowitz, 1975, pg 257)

Progressivism, on the other hand, rose in the U.S. in different ways. “The first decades of the twentieth century came to be called the progressive era because of the well-publicized work of political reformers, muckrakers, and trust busters. ” (Progressives, Populists and Reform, 1976). It was a busy period focused on pulling Americans toward ‘The American Dream.’ During the Progressive Era, the formation of rapid industrialization and urbanization, innovations in science and technology, the construction of transcontinental railroads, the rise of business, social change, and economic growth took place. Although the U.S. was rapidly developing, there were issues that arose during that time, such as child labor and extreme working conditions in factories. The Progressive reform movement of the Progressive era led to the demolition of these issues and passed laws restricting child labor as well as their working conditions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, with both ImperialismImperialism focusing on enhancing the power of the U.S. and Progressivism focusing on the advancement and progress of human conditions, the United States prospered with massive power. Today, it is the world’s only superpower controlling the rest of the world’s political and economic systems.

References

1. Kloppenberg, J. T. (1988). Uncertain Victory: Social Democracy and Progressivism in European and American Thought, 1870-1920. Oxford University Press.
2. Markowitz, G. E. (1975). Return to First Principles: Essays in the Philosophy of Maimonides. State University of New York Press.
3. Herring, G. C. (2008). From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776. Oxford University Press.
4. Hoganson, K. (2003). Fighting for American Manhood: How Gender Politics Provoked the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. Yale University Press.

Introduction

Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfred T. Mahan, Herbert Spencer, and John Fiske were all important intellectuals who influenced American imperialism from 1890 to 1914. Frederick Jackson Turner started The Frontier Thesis, which is about an argument for the American democracy that was formed by the American Frontier. Alfred Thayer Mahan was a Captain in 1890, and he published a book called The Influence of Sea Power upon History, then a book after that called The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire.

The Ideas and Philosophies of Intellectuals

Herbert Spencer was a British philosopher and sociologist; he contributed a very large part of his intellectual life in the Victorian era. He was one of the key ingredients in making the evolutionary theory in the mid-nineteenth century. Herbert was looked upon as Charles Darwin. John Fiske supported the structuralist perspective that the consciousness was constructed by a historical, social, and cultural element. He was concerned with how culture promoted meanings that reflected ideologies.

Frederick’s philosophies were very significant at the beginning of American Imperialism. His thesis is very important because it not only ended the American Frontier but also took two important forces and made it the new frontier. He made the new frontier to create liberty and to get rid of old ways of doing things. The new thesis had made individualism and rough justice into the ideas of many individuals.

Herbert Spencer was much like Charles Darwin in a way. Charles Darwin came up with the natural selection theory, and Herbert came up with the theory to justify imperialism and racist policies. They completed the thesis by saying that the fittest individuals had competed for where they were in the social hierarchy spectrum. This one idea had made the ideas of imperialists bigger and stronger. This theory made the spectrum between rich and poor bigger than ever.

Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote a book in the 1890s claiming that sea power over nations made them better throughout the course of time. He had declared that naval power was the main ingredient to dominance and the expansion of imperialism. John Fiske believed that if individuals spoke English, they would be superior characters. Many people believed John Fiske’s ideas were like the ideas of Manifest Destiny.

Frederick Jackson Turner had said that American Democracy was formed by the American frontier. In today’s world, you can figure out that democracy was not founded by the American frontier. The earliest democracy was named after an individual called Cleisthenes. You could say it came to light by an individual called Thomas Patterson. His philosophy is not used much in today’s world.

Alfred T. Mahan’s philosophy is still used today. The thought of the sea having power is great in this nation today. The United States fights on water; the water can be peaceful, and because of his philosophy, today, our naval officers are ready and prepared. Herbert Spencer’s philosophy is still used today. The theory of evolution is still being taught today. He developed and applied the theory of evolution to philosophy and the study of psychology.

Conclusion

Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfred T. Mahan, Herbert Spencer, and John Fiske were all great philosophers. Each one contributed to the world with their individual theories. Each individual, regardless of their theories, contributes to today’s world. They, at one point in time, were believed to be true.

References

1. Turner, F. J. (1893). The significance of the frontier in American history. Annual Report of the American Historical Association, 227-238.
2. Mahan, A. T. (1890). The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783. Little, Brown.
3. Mahan, A. T. (1892). The influence of sea power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793-1812. Little, Brown.
4. Spencer, H. (1855). Principles of psychology. D. Appleton and Company.
5. Fiske, J. (1897). The idea of God as affected by modern knowledge. Houghton, Mifflin.

Introduction

The definition of imperialism is the policy of expanding a country’s rule over foreign nations, most of the time accomplished by military force. Imperialism also includes political and economic control of said nation. The age of imperialism, for America at least, lasted from the mid to late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Although imperialism was a worldwide trend in the late eighteen hundreds, today, in the twenty-first century, it is prohibited by international law.

The basic appeal of imperialism was originally jump-started by the Industrial Revolution. The economic success around the world created a thirst for more. Seizing more territory would create new markets, thus increasing the profits. More developed countries were seeking weak nations for their own gain. In the economic aspect, these weaker nations could provide cheap resources and cheap labor. Another appeal to industrialized countries was that they could have larger empires, which in turn meant they were more successful. Stronger countries also wanted control of trading routes, seeing as they could receive a lot of money from charging other countries to use it.

Body

Defining Imperialism and its Forms

There are four forms of imperialism that were used during the urge for larger empires. The first is colonial imperialism, which is when a country is being controlled internally by a foreign power like Alaska being controlled by Russia or Vietnam being a French colony. On the other side of colonial imperialism are protectorates, which is a territory being controlled by a foreign power, such as the Niger River Delta being a protectorate of England. A sphere of influence is an area where an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges; for example, Liberia was under an American sphere of influence. The last form of imperialism is economic imperialism, which consists of an independent but less developed country controlled by private business interests rather than other nations. An example of economic imperialism would be the Hawaiian pineapple trade being dominated by the Dole Fruit Company.

Forms of Control and Their Effects

Direct control was used to enforce the new control of weak nations. The main benefit that came from direct control was assimilation, in which the natives adopted the culture of the imperial nation, usually forced upon them. The French were infamous for attempts to assimilate their colonies, ultimately leading to the well-known Vietnam War. Foreign officials were brought in to rule colonized land. Most of the time, paternalism was adopted in these cases by giving the citizens what they needed but without giving them any rights.

Indirect control was less commonly used by imperial nations. It consisted of local, native officials forced to lead the other citizens who were hardly ever able to call their own shots as officials. It also included association, in which the imperial nation recognized the different institutions and cultures and did not force them to adapt to new ones but just saw their ways as inferior.

There were positive and negative parts of imperialism, all points being valid. Some benefits for the imperial nations included more raw materials, cheaper labor, and new markets. While the negatives outweighed the positives in regard to the native land, there were some good things, like increased economic output, some industrialization, improvements to sanitation and education, and the establishment of order. Some of the worse effects included natives losing independence, increased number of deaths, disregard of former political boundaries, famine, restrictions of native businesses, and increased racism.

Global Impact of American Imperialism

China had isolated itself for hundreds of years now, refusing to adopt Western ways. The Chinese traded, but only at the Port of Canton, where the rights of European merchants were at the hands of the emperor. The First Opium War, one of the first instances of imperialism in China, was when the Chinese government tried to halt the British from importing opium. This action by the Chinese government resulted in a war in which Britain’s military and advanced industrialization easily destroyed the Chinese military. The Treaty of Nanking opened up five ports, gave Britain the island of Hong Kong, and forced China to pay a large compensation fee.

China was later forced to open eleven more treaty ports that gave exclusive privileges, such as the right to trade with the interior of China and the right to supervise the Chinese customs offices, to the British. Foreigners were also granted the right of extraterritoriality, which meant that Western nations ran their own courts in China and were tried in their own courts. The Western nations dominated China with spheres of influence. France obtained territory in southwestern China. Germany claimed the Shandong Peninsula in northern China. Russia acquired control of Manchuria and a hold over Port Arthur, and finally, the British took control of the Yangzi Valley.

The United States had not yet taken part in creating spheres of influence in China because they feared that it could possibly hurt the U.S. due to the Open Door Policy of 1899. John Hay, the American Secretary of State, gave the idea of the Open Door Policy, suggesting that all trade in China would be equally open to countries and the territory of China would be respected. Imperialists accepted the policy in principle but not always in practice. For the United States, however, the Open Door Policy became heavily relied on in regard to trading in Chinese territory at the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1900s, China was in turmoil. There was anguish towards foreigners because they had forced China to give up a large amount of political and economic rights, and the frustration continued to grow. This anger towards foreigners exploded into the Boxer Rebellion. The Manchu government supported the secret Chinese nationalist society, and their goal was to rid China of all foreigners and restore their nation to isolation. In 1900, the Boxers launched a multitude of attacks against foreigners, Chinese Christians, and foreign embassies in Beijing. Imperialistic powers sent an international force of a whopping 25,000 troops to put a stop to the rebellion, which ended within two weeks.

The Boxer Rebellion failed, but it convinced China that resistance was not only possible but necessary. In 1911, rebellions broke out across the country, and the Manchu emperor was removed from power. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen claimed China as a republic and was named the new president. He advocated a three-point program of nationalism, which consisted of freeing China from imperial control, democracy or electing government officials, and livelihood, which meant adapting to Western methods. For the next 37 years, the Chinese Republic would face many problems and would continue to be at war with itself and with foreign invaders.

A major act of imperialism was the Berlin Conference. Fourteen European nations, comprised of Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, and America, met and claimed different regions of Africa, while no representatives from Africa were present, or even invited. The conference was called by Portugal, and at the time, eighty percent of Africa was under local African control.

What came of the conference was a bundle of territorial lines, dividing Africa by who controlled which regions. They separated tribes and cultural groups to weaken the resistance. The new borders merged together groups of people who did not get along, which reinforced the effort to limit the resistance. By 1914, the only African countries not under European control were Liberia and Ethiopia. Liberia was already settled and occupied by free slaves from America and became an independent republic in 1847. Ethiopia was already independent and routed by an Italian invasion in 1896. Ethiopia’s independence was reassured after defeating Italy.

The French occupied the largest amount of territory in Africa, with over three and a half million square miles, which contained the Sahara Desert. France conquered Algeria in 1830, and between the years of 1881 and 1912, they acquired Tunisia, Morocco, West Africa, and Equatorial Africa. At the French Empire’s largest point, it was, collectively, as big as the continental United States.

Great Britain’s territory in Africa was not anywhere close to as big as France’s, but it contained more populated areas, mostly in southern Africa, which was home to many valuable resources such as diamonds and gold. After the much-disputed conflict between the Boers, the Zulus, and Great Britain, Britain intervened and ultimately destroyed the Zulu Empire. In 1890, the prime minister of the Cape Colony wanted to extend the British African Empire from Cape Town to Cairo and tried to annex the Boer Republic. The British had defeated the Boers in the Boer War and annexed the republics. Britain then combined its South African colonies to create the Union of South Africa. The government was run by whites, and the Boers, who severely outnumbered the British, assumed control. This put in place the foundation for racial segregation that would last until the 1990s.

Italy and Germany were both late to the imperialistic ventures, so they acted quickly when they joined. Germany took land in eastern and southwestern Africa, while Italy jumped on the opportunity to take Libya, Italian Somaliland, and Eritrea, which is the north-most province of Ethiopia. Italy’s efforts to gain control of Ethiopia ended in defeat, not gaining the desired.

In 1763, the British took control of India after defeating the French in the Seven Years’ War. India was controlled by the British East India Company, which ruled with a particular strictness. In 1857, a revolt led by native soldiers led to an uprising known as the Sepoy Mutiny. After the rebellion was abruptly stopped, the British government made India part of the empire in 1858, as mentioned previously. Social reforms, advocated education, and promoted technology were implemented by the British. Britain made huge profits from India, which in turn gave India the nickname “Crown Jewel of the British Empire.” Indian citizens, despite the fortune made by them, continued to live in terrible conditions while the British continuously disrespected the native Indian culture.

There was only one Asian country that did not fall victim to imperialism: Japan. The Japanese had already expelled Europeans from Japan and closed Japanese ports to trade with the outside world in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, only allowing the Dutch to trade at Nagasaki. In 1853, an American naval officer led an expedition to Japan. He convinced the shogun to open ports for trade with the United States. Fearful of being imperialized by foreign countries, unlike China, they reversed their isolation policy and began to modernize and industrialize like the West. In 1867, the Meiji Restoration sought to replace the feudal rulers and increase the power of the emperor. The goal is to make Japan strong enough to compete with the West.

New leaders added strength to the military and transformed Japan into an industrial society to keep up with the West. The Japanese adopted a constitution similar to the Prussian model, with the emperor as the head of the country. The government was not intended to promote democracy but rather unite Japan and make it equal to the Western hemisphere. The leaders built a tactile and strong army based on a draft and constructed a mass of iron steamships. The Japanese then became an imperial power due to their power and success. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, Japan earned claims to Korea. Japan also acquired its first colonies—Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands—and shocked everyone by defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. This victory was the first time an Asian power defeated a European power in over 200 years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, new imperialism changed Western society and its colonies. Through imperialism, Western countries established a global economy. Imperialism basically destroyed native culture and industry. By using colonies as sources of cheap materials and markets for manufactured goods, foreign powers held back the colonies from developing. Imperialism brought a confrontation between conflicting cultures. By 1900, Western nations controlled most of the globe. The pressures from foreign powers to westernize forced colonial people to adapt to new lifestyles. Overall, imperialism was kind of stupid and wrong, but also kind of necessary to be where we are today.

Work Cited

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