Imperialism- A Theory

273 Words2 Pages
Question: In what ways did the Industrial Revolution influence the “new imperialism”? Imperialism by definition means the takeover of one country of the cultural, economic, and political facets. The term “new imperialism” is used because between 1500 and 1800, Europe had very little influence on the people of China, India, or Africa. In the 1800’s, They Europeans started to amass considerable power. In the 1870’s, Europeans had most of the world under their influence and/or control. The Industrial Revolution refers to the time period in European history in which industry came forward in leaps and bounds. As Europe continued to expand overseas, they had a growing need and desire for a greater amount of goods to fuel their expansion, growing population, and the people that flowed into European territories. In order to expand, the need for certain commodities increased: rubber, petroleum, manganese for steel, and palm oil for machinery. The vastly growing population of Europe and its new territories required more goods than could have been produced Pre-Industrial Revolution. Without the new goods, the populations overseas would, more than likely, died off; either that or would have been discontinued due to lack of funding and resources. Bankers helped fund the Industrial Revolution. Without the financial backing of the bankers and other investors, the Industrial Revolution could not have happened. There was a vast need for goods, both overseas and domestic. Military strength also played a role in the reason for this “new imperialism”. Steam powered boats started to get manufactured in abundance, both to help deliver goods to new lands, but also for naval power to protect
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