World historyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Expansion in the Industrial Age

European and U.S. Imperial Expansion in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

In the late nineteenth century, industrialized nations rapidly expanded their control over Africa. This lesson explores why Africa became a target of imperial competition, how European powers divided the continent, and how France, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Italy built their empires.

Industrialized nations viewed colonies as sources of wealth and national strength. Africa offered raw materials, potential markets for manufactured goods, strategic locations, and opportunities to increase national prestige and military influence. At the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution, Europeans controlled about 10 percent of Africa. By the end of the nineteenth century, they controlled about 90 percent.

All flashcards

What was a protectorate?
A territory where local authorities handled some domestic matters while a foreign power controlled areas such as defense and foreign relations.
What was the Congo Free State?
The Congo Basin territory Leopold II ruled as his personal possession, exploiting its resources and labor.
What was a scorched-earth policy?
A strategy of destroying resources that could supply an opposing force.
What is extraterritoriality?
The privilege of foreign residents to be governed by their own country's laws while living abroad.
What did the Self-Strengthening Movement seek to do?
Adopt Western technology and science while retaining Confucian values and the Qing dynasty.

Quiz questions

  1. How did the Fashoda Incident end?Answer: France withdrew, and the countries later agreed on a boundary between their African spheres of influence.
  2. What was a consequence of the Boer War, which ended in 1902?Answer: Britain annexed the Transvaal and Orange Free State.
  3. What territory did China cede to Japan under the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki?Answer: Taiwan, the Penghu Islands, and the Liaodong Peninsula.
  4. What was the purpose of the Open Door policy in China?Answer: To promote equal trade access for foreign countries and prevent one power from gaining a special advantage.
  5. What did the 1898 Treaty of Paris provide after the Spanish-American War?Answer: Cuba became independent; the United States received Guam and Puerto Rico and could purchase the Philippines.

Based on World History Volume 2, from 1400 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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