AP World History AMSCO Guided Notes
6.5: Economic Imperialism
AP World History Guided Notes
AMSCO 6.5 - Economic Imperialism
Essential Questions
- What economic factors contributed to the imperialism in the global economy between 1750 and 1900?
I. The Rise of Economic Imperialism
1. What is economic imperialism and how did it differ from earlier colonial practices?
2. What types of resources did industrialized nations exploit through economic imperialism?
II. Economic Imperialism in Asia
A. India
1. How did the English East India Company's focus shift from spices to textiles, and what role did the Industrial Revolution play?
2. What happened to India's textile industry after Britain industrialized, and how did this benefit Britain?
B. Dutch East Indies
1. What was the Culture System and how did it force farmers to produce cash crops?
2. What consequences did farmers face if their export crops failed under the Culture System?
C. China
1. Why did the East India Company begin forcing Indian farmers to grow opium, and how did this solve Britain's trade problem with China?
2. What triggered the first Opium War and what were the main terms of the Treaty of Nanking?
3. What caused the second Opium War and what new rights did the Treaty of Tientsin grant to foreign powers?
D. Spheres of Influence
1. What were spheres of influence and why did multiple nations seek them in China?
2. What was the Open Door policy and what problem was it designed to prevent?
III. Economic Imperialism in Africa
1. How did colonization change African agriculture from food production to cash crop production?
2. What were the consequences of relying on a single cash crop for African economies and food security?
A. Cash Crops Across Africa
1. What role did cotton play in Egypt's economy by the end of the 19th century?
2. How did colonial policies in Kenya differ from those in Uganda regarding African participation in cash crop production?
3. What cash crops became important exports from West Africa during the colonial period and why were they valuable?
B. Slavery in Africa
1. When was slavery officially abolished in British colonies and throughout Africa, and what role did slavery play in cash crop production?
2. How did some European companies respond to the use of slave labor in producing raw materials?
IV. Economic Imperialism in Latin America
1. Which European nations were the primary investors in Latin America and what types of investments did they make?
2. How did the Monroe Doctrine reflect U.S. imperial ambitions in Latin America?
A. Role of the United States
1. What industries and infrastructure did U.S. corporate investments focus on in Latin America?
B. Investments in Argentina
1. How did British investment transform Argentina's economy and what specific projects did British investors finance?
C. Mining in Chile
1. How did copper mining come to dominate Chile's economy and what percentage of government income did it represent?
D. Rubber Industry in Brazil
1. Why did Brazil's rubber industry decline and what does this reveal about the organization of global trade?
E. Central America and the Caribbean
1. What was the United Fruit Company and how did it use its power to influence Central American governments?
2. What did O. Henry mean by the term 'banana republics' and what characteristics defined these states?
V. Economic Imperialism in Hawaii
1. How did American business interests and sugar planters use their economic power to change Hawaii's political status?
VI. Contextualizing Economic Imperialism
1. How did the Industrial Revolution create both the demand and the technological means for economic imperialism?
Key Terms
Spice Islands
Egypt
Sudan
Uganda
Kenya
Gold Coast
Argentina
Treaty of Nanking
Opium War
opium
Pampas
East India Company (EIC)
Dutch East India Company (VOC)
economic imperialism
Culture System
corvée labor
spheres of influence
cash crop
banana republics