Industrial Imperialism
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: How did industrialization change empires?
Industrialization dramatically altered almost every aspect of world history, and imperialism was no exception. Some societies industrialized faster than others, and this enabled them to expand politically and economically into less developed regions around the world. This new form of imperialism not only served to further industrialize more powerful nations, but also harmed colonized nations’ ability to industrialize themselves. Through unequal trade balances, unfair treaties, and debt dependency, industrial empires exercised control over many regions they did not directly colonize. Economic imperialism had massive consequences on political and economic structures across the world.
- Describe how industrialization led to imperialism and the expansion of empires.
- Use the historical thinking practices of sourcing and contextualization to assess differing perspectives on imperialism and how economic imperialism impacted China.
- Analyze images of industrial imperialism and evaluate how people both experienced and resisted the changes to human societies that occurred.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- How did the political structure of the African continent change between 1880 and 1914?
- How are the terms imperialism and colonialism used differently in this article?
- What made “new imperialism” new?
- How did racism contribute to imperialism?
Evaluate
- Do you think racism motivated imperialism, or did it simply help justify it?
Macartney’s Expedition and the Global Economy
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- Why was Portsmouth important?
- Where was the economic center of the world at the end of the eighteenth century?
- Why were Europeans more interested in trade with China than the Chinese were in trade with Europe?
- What roles did European powers in the Indian Ocean (other than Britain) play in the global economy?
- Why did Lord Macartney travel to China?
- Did Macartney succeed? Why or why not?
After you watch
- Based on this video, do you think China or Britain had the stronger economy in 1793? Which would you predict would become the economic powerhouse of the nineteenth century? Why?
- How were British and Chinese society similar in 1793? How were they different?
Analyze the Opium Wars by using the event cards to complete the Contextualization Tool.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- How does the author define economic imperialism? Why did some empires use this method?
- Why was tea so important to the relationship between China and Britain?
- What did the British find to sell to Chinese consumers, and what did the Chinese government do in response?
- What caused the First Opium War?
- What is meant by the “unequal treaties” era?
Evaluate
- Do you think the legacy of the Opium Wars is still important today? What’s one way in which this history might influence global affairs today?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference, and who attended? Who was not invited?
- What was the immediate cause of the conference?
- What were the three results of the conference?
- How did Menelik II resist the decisions made in Berlin? Did he succeed?
Evaluate
- This article concludes by arguing that the Berlin Conference was a significant world-historical event because it established a process for Europeans to cooperate in bringing “legal violence” to Africa. How did this process transform communities in Africa? In Europe?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What was the balance of trade like before the Opium Wars?
- What sparked the Opium Wars? What was the outcome?
- What was the Taiping Rebellion, and how did European and American soldiers participate in it?
- What was the goal of the Tongzhi Restoration?
- What led the Dowager Empress and Emperor Guangxu to institute the Hundred Days’ Reform?
Evaluate
- China was not formally colonized during this period, except for very small regions. In what ways did it experience “imperialism”?
- Should we regard the Qing rulers, especially the Dowager Empress Cixi, as defenders of China, or as imperialists themselves? Why? Is it possible to be both?