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The perspective presented In the source Is presented as a positive view on the Age of Imperialism. The source states that many countries benefited greatly from “the Age of Imperialism,” which Is when a country creates domination over another country’s economic, political, and cultural institutions. The Age of Imperialism contributed to globalization significantly. It helped the globalization in a way that benefited wealthier countries and took advantage of poorer countries.
The source also informs us that the Europeans helped civilize the world tremendously. Civilizing is the process of bringing people to a stage of social, cultural, and moral development that is considered to be more advanced. The source explains that without this period of time, a whole lot of things would be very different. It also expresses that literature was greatly Increased because of the Age of European Expansionism. The age of Imperialism was driven by trade because of the colonies set up abroad after a European power revealed their superiority over a country It was imperialistic.
Because of this, cheap materials were sent back to the European country. Aside to the benefits from the Age of Imperialism, there were several negative Impacts because of imperialism. During the Age of Imperialism, powerful European countries took advantage of the undeveloped countries and built colonies. After setting up the colony, they benefited from the local workers because of cheap labor. Religion was greatly affected by imperialism because the religion of the European superpowers were so dominant. Adding to the negatives is that the Age of Imperialism caused a lot of conflict.
Imperialism helped colonies be viewed as a source of cheap raw trials. Imperialism directly aided to the term of mercantilism which is the policy of strictly controlling trade. But as mercantilism declined, another idea inclined. The idea to have the government control the economy and advocate free trade, competition, and choice lead to the uprising of capitalism. Imperialism was easy for European powers because naval power, as well as guns and cannons, gave early European colonizers a significant military advantage over those who tried to resist.
The Europeans also represented large central governments which could send many hips and soldiers. The sources has one perspective of two possible perspectives on the topic of the Age of Imperialism. One perspective suggests that the Age of Imperialism had a good impact because of the many advantages it created for the European countries, and the countries where their colonies were built. Others, however, believe that the Age of Imperialism had a negative impact on the world because of the many disadvantages It revealed for the underdeveloped countries where the colonies were set up.
In evaluating this source It Is clear we should not embrace the perspective of he source and agree that the Age of Imperialism essentially had European countries assimilated, and imperialism caused conflicts. The Age of Imperialism created a terror on under-developing countries as European countries took the initiative of frightening then exploiting the countries. Prior to imperialism, many third-world countries were not bothered and were generally kept alone by more dominant countries. For example, a written record of life as an Indigenous person in Africa was shared by an oral historian of the Pended people.
The main ideas of the excerpt provided in the textbook tell us that the “Indigenous people ere living comfortably. They had cattle and crops; they had salt marshes and banana trees. ” After imperialism had started around the world, European countries began to develop colonies in these developing countries and this is when exploitation occurred. In 1884, representatives from the United States, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Sweden- Norway met in Berlin, Germany, to divide Africa among themselves.
Africa was a major continent which was in the process of being imperialism. The eating in Berlin was set to avoid conflicts with other imperial powers, protect trade routes, and gain control of the continent’s natural resources. Once the imperial powers were established in Africa, traders and settlers followed, slowly exploiting the African countries. The Indigenous people whose land and resources were being taken over by the European countries were not consulted and that led to the exploitation. This was called “The Scramble for Africa. The exploitation of the African countries led to local workers being isolated and put into colonies to work for the European powers. Many Indigenous people had to go work in faraway industries where they often labored in appalling conditions for very low wages. The wealth produced by the colonies benefited rich people and rulers in the home countries not the workers or the colony itself. Some African citizens were enslaved by the European countries and brutally forced to do all different kinds of work. The slavery led to many deaths, sometimes from working too hard and not being supplied enough food from their masters.
Other times it was because slaves tried to flee and free themselves from slavery and try to start a new chapter in life. From the excerpt provided by the oral historian, it was evidently explained that the arrival of the Europeans frightened the Indigenous peoples. They described it as this: “Suddenly the sight of a big boat rising out of the great ocean with wings that were white and sparkling, like knives. ” The arrival of Europeans scared these nations significantly and the intimidation had led to the exploitation of the countries.
Another reason why the Age of Imperialism is viewed negatively is because of how the imperial powers assimilated the people of the countries being taken advantage f. Prior to being imperialism, many Indigenous people practiced a religion of their choice. After being imperialism by imperial powers, religious missionaries were brought in to bring the message of their beliefs to foreign lands. European religious beliefs were exported to the colonies. Christianity changed the lives of the people Indigenous art changed; art that was created for export to Europe had to reflect European tastes and preferences or it would not sell.
At the same time, European architecture was exported to the colonies. Throughout India, for example, the British lilt huge buildings in European style. The people that were native to the land where the colonies were built were totally being brainwashed into seeing and making European styles of things. Many of the Indigenous people were forced to abandon their traditional way of life. To survive, they had to work in faraway mines, plantations and factories. They were driven away from their way of life. As missionaries started to convert people, the imperial powers began to build Christian schools and hospitals.
Also, some colonized people began to believe in Western superiority and they lost inference in their own culture. The imperial powers assimilating people native to the land had a huge negative impact on the countries that were affected by imperialism. Lastly, the Age of Imperialism caused a tremendous amount of conflicts where European countries attempted to imperialism. Before the arrival of the Europeans, Indigenous people in most areas lived a generally quiet and peaceful way of life; not being disturbed by most other nations or tribes and they were not seeking to disturb someone else’s way of life.
For example, from the excerpt in the book by the oral Astoria Mukluks Koki, he explained that the Indigenous people were fine until the arrival of the Europeans. He described the arrival to be frightening but the Pended people “pushed them back into the ocean with a volley of arrows. But the new people spat fire with a noise of thunder. Many men were killed. Our ancestors fled. ” In conclusion, the writer wrote that “from that time to our days now, the whites have brought us nothing but wars and miseries. ” This can be used to interpret that the arrival of the imperial powers created only conflict for the native people which was to needed.
In the early sass’s, King Leopold II of Belgium claimed his own personal property of land. In addition to the land, Leopold forced many Indigenous people of the land to give up their regions. Later on, the Indigenous people were brutally punished. Some were beaten; others had their ears, hands, or feet cut off; and many were killed. In addition, many starved or died of diseases. In Africa, the Boers (Dutch) and the British had colonies. Movement from the Boers into different areas set up encounters with other nations and tribes. One of these encounters was with the literary powerful Bantu peoples which created some conflict.
In addition to this, the Boers and the British had a conflict to some extent as well which was always going on. With resources at stake, the English and the Republics went at war and the British came out on top, but at a high price in lives. The lasting impression of the Age of Imperialism is that it numbered out to causing a ton of conflict between groups. In conclusion, we should not embrace the perspective of this source and the Age of Imperialism because imperial powers terrorized and exploited developing countries, Imperialism caused conflict between many groups.
Imperialism caused a significant number of problems to countries that did not want to get involved. Lydia Maria Francis Child once said “we first crush people to the earth, and then claim the right of trampling on them forever, because they are prostrate. ” This is how imperialism can be described because it more than enough negatively impacts a nation forever and there is nothing that nation can do because of the superiority of the imperialistic nation. To conclude, the Age of Imperialism negatively impacted the world in a way that will last forever.