Race for Colonies in the Late 19th Century
Although European imperialism had started in the 15th century when a number of European powers such as Spain, Portugal and Great Britain began to look for new settlements around the world, another great race for colonies occurred in the late 19th century. This time around, other countries such as the United States and Japan also joined Europe in the race. Some of the major reasons for the establishment of colonies in the late 19th century and specific examples of such colonies are outlined below.
Industrial Revolution:
The industrial revolution in Europe and the United States had greatly increased their technological and military power by the second half of the 19th century. Japan, too, had embarked on a path of rapid modernization in the mid-nineteenth century. As a result, several countries in Europe (including England, France, Germany and Italy), the U.S. And Japan enjoyed a big technological and military edge over the rest of the world by late 1800s. Such a marked difference in powers of nation-states has its own momentum leading to domination of the weaker nations by the stronger. This, perhaps, was the major reason for the spurt of colonization at the end of the nineteenth century.
Need for Finding Markets:
Another reason was the need for finding markets for the surplus goods produced in Western countries as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
There was no better way for creating captive markets in different parts of the world than establishing colonies.
Racism:
The sense of racial superiority, particularly among the white people, also played a part in colonization. Most white men believed that they were superior to people of other races. Writers such as the Englishman, Rudyard Kipling propounded the theory of the "White Man's Burden" whereby the white people had an obligation to spread the "blessings" of their superior civilization to the "savages" in the rest of the world.
Many among them also sought to spread their Christian religious beliefs among "heathens" believing Christianity to be the only true religion. Another variation of the racism that also contributed to the trend of colonialism was the popularity of Social Darwinism -- a theory that advocated the inevitability of "survival...
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