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6 Reason why Empire building happened in the 19th century - Coggle Diagram
6 Reason why Empire building happened in the 19th century
technological advances
steam ships made long distance travel faster and safer
new medicines allowed treatment for tropical diseases
building of railways in colonies allowed materials and troops to be transported much faster
new weapons allowed Europeans to overwhelm and conquer the indigenous populations
explorers and missionarie
discovered new territories, identifying the potential resources on other lands
explorers sought adventure, some wealth and fame
Cecil Rhodes, army conquering swathes of land - Zimbabwe
economic reasons
building and expanding empires were raw materials, new markets and cheap labour
new conquered lands would contribute raw materials and food materials not available in the mother country, like tea from China, rubber from Malaysia, bananas from Ghana
No import tariffs were paid between the mother country and the colony, but colonies were forced to purchase goods from mother country. As an example, India purchased 40% of Britain's cotton.
population growth
Europe's population increased exponentially. This growth led to acute land shortages in the countryside and overcrowding in cities.
Many people began to emigrate to get a better standard of living. By 1890, over 1 million Europeans were emigrating every year.
nationalism and rivalries
for Europeans, having an empire was something to be proud of. It was a sign of your country's greatness and importance, reinforcing your superiority over all others.
Many European leaders wanted colonies to compete with rival European powers, namely Great BRITAIN. So, some territories were colonised when there was no actual economic reason, but more of making sure more lands had been conquered than your rivals.
strategic reasons
The British Empire is an example of strategic thinking. As an Island nation, it built up a strong navy to rule the oceans.
Britain had a small army, so millions of soldiers from India were recruited into the British Army, many serving during WWI and WWII.
Territories conquered included Gilbralter, Bombay, Singapore and Hong Kong. This would allow Britain control of the oceans, and ports for ships and merchants to dock for refuelling.