Colonialism
Driving Question: What motivated colonialism, and what were the goals of colonial powers?
What really drives one country to control another? During the nineteenth century, colonial powers expanded with promises of trade and progress, but their goals often mixed ambition, economic manipulation, and political control.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the causes and consequences of colonialism in different societies around the world.
- Improve sourcing skills by evaluating differing perspectives on imperialism.
- Use the historical thinking practice of contextualization to analyze the conditions that led to the Opium Wars.
Vocab Terms:
- administrator
- colonialism
- customs
- deindustrialization
- exploitative
- racism
- resistance
Try out the Three-Step Reading routine with students to “read” visuals: First, get the big picture. Then, zoom in on details. Finally, think about what the image means. Our Reading Guide explains how to do this in more detail.
Start connecting industrial advances to imperialism by looking at how new technologies and economic systems gave empires more reach, control, and ambition.
Did you know: The British and American empires once almost went to war over a pig. In 1859, the two countries disagreed over the British-US border in the San Juan Islands between Vancouver and the Washington Territory. When an American farmer shot a British pig that was rooting through his crops, the confrontation escalated into a military standoff with dozens of soldiers and several warships. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and no humans died during the conflict. Sadly, the pig did not survive.
Add depth to your understanding of imperialism by seeing how it was viewed differently across time and place. In the process, you’ll explore how historical sources reflect bias, perspective, and lived experience.
Imperial powers ruled their colonies through violence and coercion. Discover how that played out across the globe and use evidence to test claims about the realities of colonial rule.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How is Henry Morton Stanley’s journey in Africa described?
- Why was the early phase of colonialism especially violent?
- How did economic goals lead to violent practices in colonies?
- What ideas were used to justify the use of violence?
- What were some psychological effects of colonialism?
After you read
Respond to these questions: Do you think the suffering caused by colonialism outweighs any benefits? Why or why not?
Before you run this activity, be sure to check out the Lesson Guide for full instructions. You’ll also need to print and cut out one set of the Event Cards for each student group or copy our Google Slides version. Finally, you’ll need tape and the Feedback Form.
Note: Although this activity’s instructions are intended for a teacher-led, full-class activity, if you’re pressed for time, students can easily complete this on their own or with a partner.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What is economic imperialism, and why did some empires use it?
- Why was tea important in the relationship between Britain and China?
- What did Britain sell to China, and how did the Chinese government respond?
- What caused the First Opium War?
- What were the “unequal treaties,” and what did they do?
After you read
Respond to this question: How might the history of the Opium Wars still influence global affairs today?
The British imperialists who established colonial control of India worked hard to ensure that the colony remained dependent on Britain and provided a steady supply of raw materials to feed British factories.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What effects did the industrialization of cotton cloth production have on the Indian economy?
- Why was deindustrialization a bad thing for India?
- What political explanations does the author give for this economic failure?
- Why did India suffer so many famines in the nineteenth century?
After you read
Respond to this question: How does an event like the deindustrialization of India support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on economic systems?
