Monday, February 27, 2012

3-2-1 Summary

3 Things I learned:

1.) India was referred to as the "crown Jewel" of the British empire.

2.) How the current uprisings in the world relate to New Imperialism.

3.) Japan became a imperialistic power after they modernized.

2 Things that interested me:

1.) Japan was the only country who was not taken over by an imperialistic power.

2.) How the United States could be considered Imperialistic.

1 Question I still have:

1.) How did the British stop the Sepoy Mutiny?

Spotlight on the Suez Canal

Egypt has  full control of the Suez Canal, as of 1962. It is operated by the Suez Canal Authority. The canal begins at Point Said in the Mediterranean Sea and ends at Suez at the Gulf of Suez. The canal runs from north to south. It separates the African continent from Asia. The canal is not wide enough for two ships to pass side by side. There is one shipping lane and several passing ones. It is one of the world's most used waterways and is beneficial for trade. The canal is considered a checkpoint because it can be blocked easily and therefore disrupt trade.

Current Uprising: Syria


Started March 23, 2011:

Currently in Syria, people are revolting against the government. The government is ruled by the President Bashar al-Assad, who is more like a dictator than a president. The protesters want political freedom and an end to the corruption. al-Assad belongs to the Ba'ath Party, which in 1963 banned opposition and enforced emergency laws. Many protesters have been killed by the army, under the discretion of al-Assad. The deadliest of protest murders would be on the eve of Ramadan, one of the major Muslim holidays.There are no good results because the protests are still going on currently. Some bad results of the protesting would be a great amount of deaths, al-Assad is still in rule, and Syria was banned from the Arab League. Though there is optimism that the Syrian National Council, a representative body, may become the new government in the future. This would be good for Syria because the Council is more representative of the people, than a dictator.

Uprising in European Colony

Great Rebellion ( Sepoy Mutiny):


Europe will enter into a period of colonization called imperialism, which would bring European control and oppression to many in the unindustrialized world. The most famous uprisings in a British colony was the Great Rebellion, otherwise known as the Sepoy Mutiny. Britain had gained control of India and the imperialistic goals of the British affected lives of Indians. There was a lot of tension within the colony. There was an insurrection by the Muslim and Hindu mercenaries in the British army that spread throughout northern and central India before it was finally crushed. A new rifle called a Lee-Enfield rifle caused bitter disputes between the Muslims and the Hindus. In order to load the rifle, you had to bite on the cartridge, which was greased with pig and cow fat. To the Muslims, the pig is an animal that they do not eat, nor would want to bite on. For the Hindus, the cow was a sacred animal. The Hindus and Muslims were the majority of religious groups in India. Both the Hindus and Muslims were insulted by this and began to revolt, spreading to other mutinies. Finally, this mutiny was broken up by the British. The result wasn't what the people expected, but it was one of the first steps toward Indian independence from the British.

Connections Across Continents

Open Door Policy (1899):

Secretary John Hay, under President William McKinley, brought about the idea of the Open Door Policy in 1899. It allowed countries to trade freely and equally with another. The United States thought European countries were taking over areas of the world, including Africa. The United States did not want to go to war fighting for the land. The Open Door Policy was a better and more efficient way to do so. This event can be connected across continents because the Open Door Policy not only affected the United States in trade, but also other countries such as  Britain, Germany, Russia and Japan. It opened up trade in these countries.

Annexation of Hawaii (1898):



Hawaii and the United States renewed a treaty that would allow Hawaiian sugar to be sold in the United States. Hawaii also leased Pearl Harbor to the United States In 1893, Sanford B. Dole, a pineapple planter with the help of the Marines, removed Queen Liliuokalani from the throne. He proclaimed Hawaii a republic and wanted it to be annexed by the United States. Newly elected President William McKinley approved of this annexation of Hawaii. He thought gaining Hawaii was another manifest destiny. Congress in 1898 approved of the United States annexing Hawaii because the navy  needed a naval base to protect the country and its trade. This event connects across continents because the United States was gaining land and becoming imperialistic, like Europe, by using power. Europe at the time was dominating Africa and the United States wanted to gain land, just like the Europeans.The United States Annexation of Hawaii (1898):

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Is the United States Imperialistic?

United States Imperialism
I think the United States has been imperialistic in the Nineteenth century and currently today. At this time in the nineteenth century, the United States tried to expand their influence abroad, including the Philippines which was a great success at this time. The United States tried to gain control of Japan, and as a result, the Japanese reluctantly signed treaties that opened two ports and permitted trade. Even more treaties came about.


Pros:
1.) Annexation and Control of Philippines and Hawaii.

2.) New cultures came about.

3.) Iraq Intervention: Trying to bring about a democracy.

Cons:
1.) Imperialism does not lead to democracy.

2.) Has started wars, which as a result has cost many lives of people and has cost the United States money to finance the wars.

3.) Trying to follow in the footsteps of Europeans.

U.S. Imperialism - Political Cartoon

This political is depicting the U.S. and its Imperialistic actions,which are meant to be good and help others, but are resulting in war. It shows that every time the United States tries to expand, the result is never good and leads to war. The artist's opinion of this political cartoon is that he sees the United States and its imperialistic actions as evil and not beneficial at all. I like this political cartoon because for Americans Uncle Sam is an iconic image symbolizing their country. The evil look on Uncle Sam's face and the picture of war he is holding, is a good way of showing the United States and its Imperialistic actions.

Political Cartoons

This political cartoon is depicting England and it's strong imperialistic goals. England had gained India and Cape Town in South Africa. The artist's opinion is that England  wanted to have empires all over Europe, as seen by the multiple hands of the man in the cartoon. I could not tell if the artist was against imperialism, but to me it seems like he was to an extent. He must have had bitter opinions about England. I like this political cartoon because it shows how England really had established empires or at least tried to all over Europe. From this picture, it looks as though England was very greedy and wanted as much land as possible.




This political cartoon is depicting the Europeans wanting land in Africa. This was known as the "Scramble for Africa". Africa was a large continent and it provided much land for many Europeans to establish empires there. From this political cartoon, I cannot tell if the artist was for or against Imperialism. I like this political cartoon because it was a creative way to show the Europeans "scrambling" for Africa. The Europeans were very successful in acquiring land in Africa and suppressed the natives living in those countries.

Chapter Objective/EQ

Relationship between U.S. and Europe
Chapter/Unit Objective: I hope to accomplish many things throughout this blog. First, I would like to accomplish learning more about the West and its Imperialistic ways, far beyond the chapter. Also, I would like to learn how the United States tied into Imperialism and draw connections across time, to see if the United States had similar goals to the Western world or not.




Essential Question: How is the New Imperialism different from the Old Imperialism?

Old Imperialism was used for the exploration and conquests during the 16th through 19th centuries. It was known as the Age of Exploration. The main goal of the explorers was "Gold, Glory, God!" They wanted to find gold and send it back to their countries. They wanted to glorify not only themselves but their countries. One of the main reasons for the Old Imperialists was to convert the natives to Christianity. As for the New Imperialists, the Europeans wanted to create vast empires abroad. The main goal of the New Imperialists was "Christianity, Commerce, Civilization!" They still wanted to convert the natives to Christianity. They wanted to create business in their new empires. Many New Imperialists wanted to civilize the natives to their customs and behaviors.

Introduction - The West and the World

                                                                                                             Chapter 25

The World approximately 1910
Western society was changing. A great amount of products and ideas came out of Europe in the Nineteenth century. Millions of Europeans emigrated abroad to North and South America, Australia, North and South Africa,and Asiatic Russia. Many European nations established and enlarged their political empires. This was called "New Imperialism" by historians during the 1880s. It led to the economic and technological transformation of Europe. Europe's new imperialism was a combination of military might and strong authoritarian rule. As a result, it created a challenge to the Asian and African peoples. Many societies met this Western challenge differently and with changing tactics. By 1914, non-Western elites in many lands were rallying their peoples and leading an anti-imperialistic struggle for dignity and genuine independence that would triumph after 1945.