§6.4 Imperialism

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§6.4 Imperialism

Learning goal

What were the causes and effects of imperialism?

Write the learning goals down in your notebook!

New nations, craving raw materials and a place in the sun...

The white man’s burden

In the 19th century, imperialism grew as European 

powers occupied foreign lands to create an overseas empire. 

Justified by white supremacy, ideas like The White Man’s Burden claimed it was their duty to 

civilise non-Western peoples through 

control and domination.

How does this source show imperialism and The White Man's Burden?

Economical and political reasons

European countries wanted to control colonies to get cheap raw materials and sell their products. 🛢️🌿

They also wanted to show how powerful they were, especially the British.💪

Raw materials = Grondstoffen zoals olie, steenkool en katoen.

Why were these raw materials so important for 19th-century European nations?

Scramble for Africa

Watch the video and answer these questions.

1. Why didn't the Europeans colonise the inside of Africa in the early 1800s?
2. In which city did European countries divide Africa?
3. What happened because of European colonisation of Africa in the late 1800s?

The scramble for Africa

The 1885 Berlin Conference split Africa without consent, causing lasting tribal tensions.

Without consent = Zonder instemming.

Tribal tensions = Stammenstrijd.

Did the Dutch participate in imperialism?

At the 1885 Berlin Conference, European powers divided Africa without African input, causing tribal divisions and long-lasting tensions in new colonial borders.

The Dutch

The Dutch Indies made the Netherlands rich through the cultivation system, which caused famine and poverty. 

Effect: Resistance Aceh War  (1873-1914).

How did the Cultivation System's coffee production lead to exploitation and poverty among Javanese farmers? ☕

Effects

Imperialism changed colonies by forcing monoculture farming—growing only one crop—which caused hunger. Europeans built infrastructure, spread their culture, and educated natives who later led rebellions.