Why, and with what effects, did nations gain and expand their overseas empires in the nineteenth century?

Why, and with what effects, did nations gain and expand their overseas empires in the nineteenth century?

Syllabus Objectives

Focus points

  •  What were the motives behind European and US imperialism?
  •  How varied were the impacts of European imperialism on Africans?
  • Why, and with what effects, did Indians resist British rule?
  • Why, and with what effects, did the United States gain former Spanish colonies?

Specified content

  •  Reasons for imperialism: economic, military, geopolitical, religious and cultural motives
  •  Europeans in Africa: case studies of French, British and Belgian imperialism, and their impacts on Africans: – the French model of assimilation and direct rule; Faidherbe and Senegal – the British model of indirect rule; Lugard and Nigeria – the Belgians and private imperialism; Leopold II and the Congo
  •  The British in India: the events of 1857 and the changes they brought to British rule
  •  Wars of independence in the Philippines and Cuba, the Spanish–American War and the Treaty of Paris: – the debate in the USA over US imperialism – the Philippines; consequences of American control on the Filipinos – American intervention in Cuba to 1906

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