...Imperial America EDGE Fall Quarter 2003 Tim Chueh Ambert Ho 12/5/03 What Is Imperialism? “Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism…characterized by monopoly corporations and the compulsion to export capital abroad for higher profits. Unlike capitalism in the earlier stages, in the imperialist stage, capitalism has no more progress to bring the world…the cause of contemporary militarism” – Lenin “The policy, practice, or advocacy of seeking, or acquiescing in, the extension of the control, dominion, or empire of a nation, as by the acquirement of new, esp. distant, territory or dependencies, or by the closer union of parts more or less independent of each other for operations of war, copyright, internal commerce, etc.” – Oxford dictionary The word imperialism derives from “empire.” As such, it is useful to spend a bit of time to define the word. In working towards a minimal definition, Stanford Professor of Archaeology J. Manning in his first lecture on Ancient Empires starts with: “An empire is a territorially extensive hierarchically political organization.” Unfortunately this definition is too vague. All states encountered in human history are by definition hierarchical, and many nations today are vast compared to the...
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...Colonial Expansion in England After the loss of the American colonies in 1783 Britain began to look for new colonies in order to find cheap sources of raw materials. The 19th century brought about the greatest prosperity in Britain. Its sources lay in colonial expansion, industrialization, improved transport, and social reforms. At the beginning of the century Britain was at war with Napoleonic France. In 1806, Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree forbidding any country under his control from trading with Britain. In the following year, the British issued Orders in Council, granting the right to seize neutral shipping bound for French controlled ports. This decision led to a war with the USA (1812-1814). In 1815, the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) defeated Napoleon at Waterloo near Brussels, and after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Britain became the greatest and richest power in Europe. The British controlled world trade. In the 19th century the population of Britain increased rapidly. By 1815 it had reached 13 million and London was one of the largest cities in Europe (1 million inhabitants). By 1850 half the population lived in towns and London had more than 2 million inhabitants. Between 1750 and 1850 the population of Britain increased threefold. Victoria, daughter of the Duke of Kent, a younger son of King George III, succeeded her uncle, William IV, in 1837. Her reign lasted until her death in 1901, and it was marked by a steady growth of national wealth and expansion...
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...THE neo-colonialism of today represents imperialism in its final and perhaps its most dangerous stage. In the past it was possible to convert a country upon which a neo-colonial regime had been imposed — Egypt in the nineteenth century is an example — into a colonial territory. Today this process is no longer feasible. Old-fashioned colonialism is by no means entirely abolished. It still constitutes an African problem, but it is everywhere on the retreat. Once a territory has become nominally independent it is no longer possible, as it was in the last century, to reverse the process. Existing colonies may linger on, but no new colonies will be created. In place of colonialism as the main instrument of imperialism we have today neo-colonialism. The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside. The methods and form of this direction can take various shapes. For example, in an extreme case the troops of the imperial power may garrison the territory of the neo-colonial State and control the government of it. More often, however, neo-colonialist control is exercised through economic or monetary means. The neo-colonial State may be obliged to take the manufactured products of the imperialist power to the exclusion of competing products from elsewhere. Control over government ...
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...Imperialism by Robin Hathorn Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, and artificially injecting the culture or language of one nation in another. It is usually the case that the former is a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter is a smaller, less affluent nation. Cultural imperialism can take the form of an active, formal policy or a general attitude. Cultural imperialism is a form of cultural influence distinguished from other forms by the use of force, such as military or economic force. Cultural influence is a process that goes on at all times between all cultures that have contact with each other. Cultural imperialism is also very different from other imperialistic ways, in the sense that no military or economic intervention is needed to be able to influence countries. When discussing cultural imperialism involving the United States, one often refers to the U.S. as the "American Empire". The American Empire is a term sometimes used to describe the historical domination and the current political, economic, and cultural influence of the United States on a global scale. Cultural imperialism involves much more than simple consumer goods; however, it involves the teaching and implementation American principles, such as freedom and democracy on to other nations. However, it is in popular culture that the mutual relationship between America and the rest of the world is demonstrated best. Cultural imperialism...
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...Heart of Darkness Imperialism has always had certain negative effects. Not only are the victims of imperialism exploited economically but they are often bound to experience racism. The natives are forced to abandon their political and spiritual views to learn the ways of the imperialists. In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad describes the negative consequences affiliated with imperialism for not only the indigenous people, but also the imperialists themselves. In the beginning of the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad shows that the British believed their imperialism had a positive influence on the Congolese by introducing them to civilization and the British way of life. "Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth! … The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires." (pp. 2-3 ll. 29-2). This is an optimistic statement describing the British mentality. They assume that they are imperializing for helpful reasons when they are truthfully just attempting to obtain Congo's resources. Marlow undermines the good intentions of the explorers. In the quote, "Mind, none of us would feel [...] at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea." (pp. 4-5 ll. 26-5), Marlow...
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...the reasons include Imperialistic and nationalistic feelings of the British people and of the Afrikaners , military conflicts, political actions and economic reasons. This essay will try to prove that the most important reason which influenced British relationship with its empire in Africa between 1870-1981 were economic reasons to a great extent as each and every action of the British leaders concerning Africa was either purely based on economic interest or had an indirect economic motive. To begin with before the 1870’s British policy towards its African empire was mainly focused on informal imperialism. This type of control was mainly focused on trading agreements as Britain did not establish territorial control. The primary purpose focused on purely economic interests. However everything changed during the period of the 1870s. The shift of British policy towards formal imperialism reflected a significant shift in Britain’s relationship with its Empire. The main factors that led to this change were economic reasons. According to a study which was published in 1902...
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...Is contemporary capitalism a kind of imperialism? For Ellen Meiskins Wood, it is the ‘empire of capital’ that is shaping our world. For her, the empire of capital is the new form of imperialism across the globe. Capitalism, she argues, has become ‘universal’ and it spans the globe with pervasive and intrusive control over human life and nature. It is operating with its systemic logic of ‘accumulation, commodification, profit maximization, and competition’. The empire of capital has achieved its global and penetrating grip by setting free and directing the destructive forces of the capitalist market and ‘totalizing itself’ intensively and extensively to permeate all spheres wherever it establishes itself. It is alive and there's no sign of its demise in the near future. Wood argues that capitalist imperialism, driven by market imperatives, and unlike other imperialisms before it, ‘seeks to impose its economic hegemony without political domination wherever it can.’ Empire of Capital provides perceptive insights into the fundamental nature of capitalist imperialism and what drives it. ‘The Detachment of Economic Power’ she provides an explanation of and dissects capital imperialism. She shows how under ‘empire of capital’ (the new imperialism) the economic power of capital is detached from political and military power (extra-economic force) and discusses the relation between them, as well as the implication of the detachment on the relation between the economy and the state...
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...to having access to the world at a click of a button, but is every country equal in its access to communication and media? Do all countries have access to television? Media imperialism will be discussed, media imperialism is loosely defined as a theory that suggests that smaller countries are losing their identity and culture due to the dominance of media from larger nations. Today we're not only receiving the word almost immediately, but there are also possibilities for live pictures and sound giving a feeling of presence almost virtually wherever it happens on the planet. The earlier seemingly logical relationship between space and time is moving apart, and distance is no longer an obstacle resulting in the world seeming smaller. In this article, media imperialism will be looked at in the television industry. We look at the world’s largest media giant Time Warner that recently announced its merger with Comcast making it a force to be reckon with a value of over $45 billion dollars. Then we look nationally at our very own media giant, MultiChoice, and its CEO of the holding company Naspers, Mr Koos Bekker. This media mogul has pathed the way for media in South Africa and we look at what made him so successful and how he manages such a powerful organisation such as Naspers. How does media imperialism effect the television industry? This question is discussed, and looked at in depth. The world is divided into first world countries, who produce media, and developing countries...
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...Summary of “Classical Imperialism, an economic and political background 1880-1945” The text “Classical Imperialism, an economic and political background 1880-1945 “ was written by Madelung & Frederiksen in 1985. The text is about the British Empire and how it develops. Europeans drive to foreign lands because of their greed and idealism, and their goal is to get goods from overseas. The reason that makes it possible for the Europeans is their economic, military and technical superiority. England begins to depend more on importing raw materials, since it is very hard to feed the growing population of England. They start importing raw materials in the beginning of the 19th century, and meanwhile the other European countries begin to develop their own industries and infrastructures. (Alex & Emil J.) In 1880 25 % of the whole world belongs to the British Empire. France, Germany, Belgium and the United States of America are at this time building barriers to protect their new industries. The British Empire is controlling the markets economically and politically. All the countries are trying to take over Africa. In 1884 there is a conference called “The Berlin Conference”. In this conference, they are saying that without colonies, there can’t be no industry and with no industry there can’t be no adequate prosperity. They are also ratifying the principles of Free Trade and free access and, legal protection for traders, explorers, missionaries, and scientists. Finally...
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...Case Study: Jules Ferry Melissa Elliott Chamberlain College of Nursing HIST 410 Professor Franklin March 06, 2016 Case Study: Jules Ferry 1. According to Ferry, what recent developments in world trade have made it urgent for France to have colonies? As an imperialist, Jules Ferry felt that France should be exploring and taking over new nations. He claimed colonial expansion was a great need that had become extremely urgent by the people and industrialized population of Europe (Kleinman, 1897). He stated that other countries, United States and Germany, were exporting so much more than France was. Jules Ferry compiled a report of statistics with his perspective of that great need for colonial expansion (Kleinman, 1897). This report asked questions daring the readers to disagree. Asking if it was a “fantasy”, a “concern that could wait for the future” or a “crying need” for the people of France and its industrial population (Kleinman, 1897). In his mind, he was just voicing what others could plainly see themselves just by looking around. In his words “France needs more outlets for exporting (Kleinman, 1897, para. 2)”. He proved this by blaming Germany for France not having enough outlets because they were setting trade barriers up. Then he blamed the United States for supporting Germany because the U.S. had become “protectionists and extreme protectionists at that (Kleinman, 1897, para. 2)”. He claimed that because of the dwindling markets it was becoming more difficult...
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...At the peak of Imperialism in the late nineteenth century, the “Scramble for Africa” occurred. This is formally recognized as the event in which European actors recognized Africa for its material wealth and began to invade, occupy, and extract resources. Subsequently, while each colony varied in outcome, the most inhumanely prolific colony was, arguably, the Congo Free State. King Leopold II of Belgium, claimed the Congo as his own in order to become a world power and as a result, the Congo Free State suffered from casualties upwards of 10 million people. Thus, the argument is a raised that despite the accolades that rendered the Congo a “free state”, genocide existed under King Leopold’s rule. In order to explore this concept, Roger Casement’s...
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...From 1850-1914 imperialism cast a shadow of racism, forced labor, and conflict across the globe. Some will argue that the addition of new technologies, better education, and improved sanitation made this time a positive one. Overall, imperialism could be viewed as having both a positive and negative impression on the world. Nevertheless, after analyzing all the information, it is clear that the negatives strongly outweigh the positives. Imperialism itself is defined as, the act of a strong nation controlling a weaker nation (SFA 115). There were two main methods that imperialists used to manage their colonies. The first was used mainly by France and other European nations and was called direct control. They believed that natives simply could...
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...Greed Greed is a scary motive. Greed is what created today’s world. Imperialism is one-sided, forcing things onto products, environments, cultures. Imperialism started spreading from Europe in the 16th century, dramatically affecting everything in its past. The effects of past imperialism contributed to a globalized world and still does to this day. Imperialism went through two significant stages and were all affected by greed, whether it was for more land, a bigger economy, or more power. Greed began the growth of European imperialism through the conquering of North America and South America. European imperialism is what founded the United States and created the first worldly genocide, wiping out Native American tribes, Hispanic colonies, and countless others. Imperialism, then, spread throughout the rest of the world creating one, if not, the biggest genocide in world history in Tasmania. Searching for more land, trying to expand country’s power and economy caused more pain and suffering than it did good in the first phase of Imperialism. The outcome of early global imperialism did not come into effect until quite some time later, slavery being the first. Europeans were the superior people based on the fact that they...
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...In the late 1800’s, Western Imperialism expanded aggressively. Imperialism is the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region. Although the Europeans had established colonies earlier, they previously had little direct influence over people in China, Africa, or India. Expansion takes place when one territory is deemed more powerful than other territories or people. Geographical, physical, and or technological obstacles may assist or impede in the expansion process. At the end of the 19th century the United States became a colonial power after moving across the North American continent to the Pacific Ocean. American colonies in the Philippines, Caribbean, and Hawaiian Islands were...
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...During the late 1800s and early 1900s, European countries raced to gain colonies in Africa, completely disregarding the existing cultures in this land and instead dividing it up in artificial borders based on who wanted what resource from where. These colonies were usually set up to benefit Europeans and had conflict after colonization ("Decolonization" 7). One of the lands colonized the British was called Nigeria, and this area of Africa was home to the Igbo tribe. British colonization of Nigeria catalyzed changes in the political, social, and educational structure of the Igbo community. The gender roles present in the family life of people in the Igbo tribe of Nigeria changed dramatically due to British colonization. According to Aje-Ori Agbese, the author of "Maintaining Power in the Face of Political, Economic and Social Discrimination: The Tale of Nigerian Women.", "Seniority determined respect [in the Igbo culture]. Amongst the Igbos, the first male (Opara). and first female children (Ada). had higher status in the family than other children" (Agbese 6). Agbese goes on to explain how men and women had defined roles in precolonial Nigeria. Men were in charge of discipline and providing for the family, while women were in charge of domestic issues and "womanly" tasks. However, women were still able to assert their authority an work and trade for the family (Agbese 7). In the Igbo society, kinship played a pivotal role in the power a woman had. More fertile women usually had...
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