Imperialism: The good and the bad

Rachel Newman
AP European History

The beginning of the imperialist powers no doubt stemmed from the industrialization in particular countries. It is no coincidence that both Britain and America were dominating imperialist powers that were also the fastest industrialized countries. With cheap goods and efficient factories, Europe and the United States could no look to other countries to find more resources and expand. Whether it was the new industrialized attitude, or the simple ‘white man is better’ belief, the idea that the west was superior polluted the minds or many determined and powerful leaders. Instead of trading with the less developed countries, exploitation and manipulation were key themes in imperialism. A prime example of this was the Europe and America handled Japan and China concerning trade. In China, British and French troops occupied Bejing and used military aggression to force the unwilling Chinese to trade across seas. After doing so, American commodore Matthew Perry bombarded Japan with the navy, the small country to trade across seas as well. On top of this, the mistreatment of Africans and Indians increased the gap between the industrialized and third world countries, along with racial tensions. Needless to say, although the human rights and conditions may have decreased, the resources that imperialism brought about are crucial into the modern development of globalization that we have today