africa
European Imperialism European expansion was almost a certainty. The continent was relatively poor place for agriculture, which pushed Europeans outside of Europe in search of new soil. Different countries sent explorers, like Columbus and Magellan, to find unknown trade routes to India and Asia. They stumbled onto new sources for raw materials and goods and Europe was suddenly substantially profiting. The exploration of Africa, Asia, and South America provided new wealth. It increased the standard of living for Europeans, introduced them to spices, luxurious goods, silver, and gold (class notes). Later revolutions and reformers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries transformed European society and continually provided the continent with new interests, experiences, and ideas. As a result, Europeans developed new technology, which enabled them to explore unknown territory and expand their influence overseas. European imperialism began in the 14th and 15th centuries. There were a variety of factors that allowed for expansion. First of all, because the population of Europe was low there was a potential for rapid population growth. Secondly, Europe was relatively small which made it venerable to invasion
and provoked the need for strong armies. The fact that it was divided into states provoked the need for strong governments and because there was no one power that could change things in Europe they obtained a relatively strong freedom of thought. This solidarity gave Europe the power to send voyages and explorations around the globe to help find new resources. Futhermore, Europe sent explorers to find different and needed trade routes to Asia and India because the land routes were extremely long (class notes). Also, public opinion played an important role in the support of imperialism. Many people who weren't pleased with their economic and political status could migrate to new regions to find other opportunities. Others were inspired to spread the word of Christianity and sought a new standard of living. But most importantly, Europeans were concerned with the quest for material goods and to grow rich (textbook pg. 878). There were many changes in the methods from early imperialism to late expansionism. For example, unlike "new imperialism" early European expansion focused on establishing trading posts in different countries, instead of actually taking over the land and adding empires like later imperialism. At this particular time Europe didn't have the resources or the strength to over power certain countries. In fact trading posts was all Europe could establish when trading with Africa. They could only set up trading posts on the coast of Africa because Europeans were easily susceptible to African diseases. British companies set up trading posts in India and created the British East India Company. These binds with India helped Britain maintain a successful economy and eventually became Britain's power behind their throne. However, in one instance Europe was able to take control of the Americas because of their low population. But, in most cases they were content with direct economic ties for gaining outside resources (class notes). For almost two centuries Europe experienced an imperial lull that lasted from 1700-1870 in which many countries lost empires and ceased to acquire new land. Usually, they made plans for expansion when it was inexpensive and easy to do. During this period it must have been just the opposite. After this imperial lull "new imperialism" arrived. It was during this time Europe reached the high tide of their power over the world. During the lull the Industrial revolution was underway which gave Europe a huge advantage over other parts of the world. With
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Approximate Word count = 1682
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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