Ch 19

Europe’s golden age of expansion was in the nineteenth century. Europe became the center of the world’s economy, many people were moving out of Europe and living in new lands, explorers and missionaries were reaching almost everywhere, and much of the world became part of Europe’s colonies. Europeans now had new motives and new means. With the Industrial Revolution fueling them, they felt like they had much to do. They were in demand for raw materials and agricultural products, they had a need for markets to sell their products, European capitalists often invested money abroad, and foreign markets kept workers inside Europe working. As Europe was doing all of this, nationalism was growing on all of them, this then lead to imperialism. Places like Italy and Germany unified, who were always competitive against each other. Colonies were becoming a symbol of “great power” for the Europeans, even if the land did not have much economic value. The developments from the industrial revolution made overseas expansion possible, from steamships to he underwater telegraph, to breech-loading rifles and machine guns, and the discovery of quinine, which prevented Malaria, which then reduced death rated in Europe. Europe was moving fast, and as they were making new discoveries and fighting of disease, and boasting about all they had they began to perceiver people and the world differently. Historically, Europeans had always defined others on a religious basis. But, they were now adopting many foreign techniques and ideas, communicated more freely with high class Africans and Asians. Europeans were growing more arrogant as the days went by. They felt superior because of religion and mixed with everything they already had. They were increasingly despising other cultures. In the eyes of the Europeans African societies had lost status, and a new type of racism formed which was based in terms of modern science. The Europeans were so arrogant that they felt a need to help “weaker races”, they felt responsible to help them, wanting to civilize them. To bring them education, health care, Christianity, good government, etc. They thought that they were helping them “progress” as societies and were making them more “civilized”. Reading this actually makes me kind of annoyed because of how arrogant the Europeans once were. But, I cannot classify all Europeans as being arrogant. Even though a lot of them felt superior, it would be unfair of me to say that all Europeans were, because that would very rude and unjust of me. I’m sure many of them, like those working in missionaries and etc, were not feeling a sense of arrogance.