The age of imperialism saw the expansion of European colonial empires in the late 19th century due to economic, political, and social factors. Countries industrialized and sought new markets and resources. This led to intense rivalry and a scramble for territory in Africa and Asia. By 1914, most of the world had been conquered and divided up among the major European powers and the United States, establishing colonial empires dominated by Britain and France. The legacy of imperialism included the redrawing of borders without regard for indigenous groups, disruption of traditional societies, cultural and economic changes that prioritized the needs of colonizers.

1. 6. The age of imperialism
Maira Gil Camarón
Source: Vicens Vives

2. Differences between Colonialism and Imperialism
Colonialism is a term where a country conquers and
rules over other regions. Imperialism means creating an
empire, expanding into the neighbouring regions and
expanding its dominance far
In colonialism, one can see great movement of people
to the new territory and living as permanent settlers.
Imperialism is just exercising power over the conquered
regions either through sovereignty or indirect mechanism of
control

3. Why was there imperial expansion?
Economic interests
Industrialisation  new markets to sell their surplus products and to
obtain raw material and colonial products
A growing population
19th
century: population growth  overpopulation in rural areas 
emigration to the colonies
Rivalry between the powers
Industrial powers wanted to expand their areas of influence to
increase their political power  race to control new territories
The myth of the master race
Racist and nationalistic attitudes of the time

4. The triumph of industrial capitalism
The second industrial revolution (1880-1914)
Final 19th
century: new energy sources emerged
Electricity was possible after the invention of the industrial dynamo, and
the alternator and the transformer made it possible to transport electric
current
Oil extraction  combustion engine let to its use as fuel for cars
New industrial sectors emerged: chemical industry, aluminium
industry, the automotive and aviation industries…
A new way of organising production
Taylorism (scientific management): manufacturing focused on mass
production as the best way to increase productivity, reduce the time taken
to make things and lower manufacturing costs. It was based on assembly
lines
Mass production began in the USA and the Ford Motor Company was
one of the first companies to use an assembly line in its car plant
(Fordism)

5. Banking and industrial concentration
The high capital investment required for technological
innovations stimulated the relationship between banking and
industry  industry was becoming concentrating in fewer
companies. In order to restrict competition, the major
companies signed agreements to set prices and establish areas
of influence:
Cartels: associations of manufacturers or suppliers with the
purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting
competition
Trusts: an arrangement whereby a company holds property as
its nominal owner for the good of one or more beneficiaries
Holdings: a company created to buy an own the shares of
other companies, which it then controls
Monopolies: the exclusive possession or control of the supply
of or trade in a commodity or service

6. Trade domination and international finance
19th
century: industrialised countries dominated world
trade. Europe controlled the world’s exports and imports, the
shipping routes, the major commercial ports and had large
fleets and stock markets
It was possible by advances in transport (transcontinental
railways, the opening of Suez and Panama canals…)
Europe and USA dominated the world financially: their
enormous wealth allowed them to invest capital across the
world (in land, industries and transports9  huge profits

7. European migrants in the 19th
century
The population explosion in Europe
The population doubled in Europe thanks to agricultural reforms,
industrialisation and advances in medicine and hygiene and a portion
of this population migrated to other continents
Transoceanic journeys
Migration was possible by new means of transport: transoceanic
steamships. Thousand of people from all social classes sailed on them
Poor migrants and colonial elites
The majority of the emigrants were poor peasants and middle-class
people in search of better opportunities
People from countries with large colonies settled in the new lands as
farmers or forming part of the colonial administration
People from countries without colonies had worse conditions in the
new lands becoming ordinary wage earners

8. Europe conquers the world
Exploration and
conquest
19th
century: much of Africa,
Asia and the oceans were
unknown to Europeans.
Colonial ambitions inspired the
search for new territories
and led to a number of
scientific journeys and
geographic explorations
Many of these expeditions were
carried out by the British and
the French, who travelled
around and mapped out Central
Africa
After the exploration phase,
conquest was relatively quick
and easy

10. Clashes between the colonial powers
The Scramble for Africa also known ad “the race for Africa”
was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation
of African territory by European powers between 1881 and 1914.
The Berlin Conference (1885) established the rules for dividing
the territory and the areas that each power would occupy
Different estates clashed in different conflicts. The most important
were:
The Boers Wars (Great Britain against the Dutch settlers in
Southern Africa)
The occupation of Asia  The Opium Wars (conflict with
China)  The Boxer Rebellion

11. The organisation and exploitation of the
colonies
EXPLOITATION COLONY
COLONY. A country or territory governed internally by a
foreign power
PROTECTORATE. A country or a territory with its own
internal government but under the control of an outside power
SETTLER COLONY
DOMINION. Settler colonies of the British Empire (Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)
OVERSEAS TERRITORIES. The name of the French colonies
(Algeria)
OTHER COLONY TYPES
CONCESSIONS. An area assigned to a metropolis for a
period of time (Hong Kong)
STRATEGIC ENCLAVE. A small territory in a strategic
location (Suez Canal, Gibraltar)

14. How did the colonial empires divide up
the world?
The British Empire
In the late 19th
century, GB had the largest colonial empire
and controlled maritime trade routes.
Africa: from Cairo in the north to Cape Town in the south
The main British colony was India, being the major market for
British products and an important supplier of raw materials.
The French Empire
The second-largest colonial empire, settled in North Africa and
South Asia
Africa: France consolidated its rule in a large area that
spanned Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and further south
Their presence in Southeast Asia (Conchinchina) from the mid-19th
century grew stronger with the establishment of a number of new
protectorates as French Indochina (Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos)

17. Non-European Empires: USA and Japan
Two non-European countries, the USA and Japan, also became
involved in overseas expansion during this period.
Both were interested in East Asia: Japan took Korea and
Taiwan, USA took Philippines in Asia and Cuba and Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean after USA-Spanish war

18. The legacy of colonialism
Modification of the territory
Europeans created new countries and drew new borders changing
the landscape and economic and political structure of the continent.
These changes took place without any consideration for the
indigenous peoples’ tribal, linguistic and religious differences 
countries with serious problems
The dismantling of traditional societies: the colonisers did
not respect the ways of life of the indigenous peoples and social
structures changed. The new working patterns disrupted tribal life
and the system of hierarchies. Ethnic groups were divided or united
artificially, which forced opposing groups to live together
The demographic impact
Hospitals, vaccines… fewer epidemics  demographic growth
altered the balance between population and resources and led to
chronic malnutrition

19. Cultural colonisation
Many of the indigenous costumes and oral tradition did not
survive to the impact of the western culture  they lose much
of their identity. Education spread so they adopted European
languages, beliefs (Christianity) and lifestyles  acculturation
Economic consequences
The economic interests of the colonises were imposed on the
colonies, so the colonisers took over land, abandoned
traditional crops that ensured survival of indigenous families
and replaced them with large plantations to grow products
that benefitted the metropolis.
The indigenous population were forced to work in these
plantation in order to survive and had to buy food because the
settlers imposed a cash market economy  the production of
traditional crafts ended as it could not compete with industrial
products imported from the metropolis at cheap prices in large
quantities

20. The transformation of science and
technology
Advances in medicine
Major medical advances: vaccines and antibiotics
The information and communication revolution
Revolutionary advances in communication methods: telegraph,
telephone, radio… 20th century: new technological revolution
Advances in transport
Cars and aeroplanes… Space rockets
Transformations in daily life
Household appliances
Photography
Cinematograph (new leisure option)