Summary

3 Things I Learned

1. I learned that the three justifications for imperialism were racism, Social Darwinism, and ethnocentrism (I also learned what each of those things is).
2. I learned that the "White Man's Burden" was for Europeans to impose their practices on supposedly primitive nonwhites.
3. I learned that most countries only became imperialistic because they wanted the best trade options in the world.

2 Things That I Found Interesting

1. I thought it was interesting that there was also a White Woman's Burden, which was basically the same as the men's but it applied to how women should act.
2. I thought it was interesting that Pear's Soap could run ads like they did (the baby being cleaned in the tub) and nobody thought that it was offensive.

1 Question I Still Have

1. If the people of the colonies were being treated so badly, why were there not more uprisings?

Spotlight On

Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranian Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation around Africa.Today, the Suez Canal, which is located entirely in Egypt, is controlled by Egypt's Suez Canal Authority. The canal is extensively used by modern ships, as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. Tolls paid by the vessels represent an important source of income for the Egyptian government. In 2010, 17993 ships passed through the canal and in January 2011, 67 ships went through. The Suez Canal is important today because it is considered to be the shortest link between the east and the west due to its unique geographic location. It is an important international navigation canal linking between the Mediterranean sea at Port said and the red sea at Suez.

Egypt Uprising

The current uprising in Egypt began on January 25, 2011. It began because of complaints about police corruption and abuses. The demonstrators were also upset about President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, a lack of free elections and economic issues such as high food prices, low wages and high unemployment. The protestors forced Mubarak from office. The country recently elected a new Prime Minister, Essam Sharaf, who has named a new cabinet to help lead the country through reforms and toward free elections.

<--Essam Sharaf

Colonial Uprising

The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 occured in India. The sepoys, who were Indians trained by the British as soldiers, revolted against their Indian overlords and the British East India Company. The sepoys heard rumors that the cartridges for their new Enfield rifles were greased with lard and beef fat. The cow is sacred to the Hindus and the Muslims cannot have pork, so they mutinied. Although the mutiny was initially spontaneous, it quickly became more organized and the sepoys even took over the cities of Delhi and Kanpur. This mutiny was harshly crushed by the British on September 20, 1857.

US Events

National League for Baseball
The first National League for baseball was formed in the United States in 1876. The league had eight teams that played seventy games between April 22 and October 21. Two major league teams that we have today were formed back then (Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Socks, Chicago White Stockings-Chicago White Socks). This league was an improvement of the previous National Association. Baseball is said to have originated in England in 1755 but the first league there wasn't established until 1890.

Women's Voting Rights
In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote. She led a group of women who were attempting to test the right of women to the franchise under the terms of the Fourteenth Amendment. Her arrest, trial, and sentence to a fine (which she refused to pay) were a cause célèbre. In Great Britain, it wasn't until 1903 that a union was formed to fight for women's voting rights. They didn't really campaign to vote until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

United States Imperialism

Do you think the United States is/has been imperialistic?

I think that the United States has been imperialistic because though we claimed to be invading or taking over a country to right the wrongs done by its current rulers, we were basically taking them over to get what we wanted out of them and make them more like our country. Examples of this are the Philippines and Japan. Here we claimed to be helping them but we were just taking them over to get what we needed out of them.

Pros of Imperialism

• Better health care facilities were provided.
• Education and scientific thinking was introduced and encouraged.
• The imperialists countries gained cheap, efficient workforce.

Cons of Imperialism

• Most traditional culture and languages were simply wiped away.
• Natural resources were exploited, without giving actual due.
• New religions were forced upon and native belief was discredited.

Political Cartoons

This political cartoon is showing the leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, France, and Japan dividing up a pie, which represents China. There is a Qing in the background throwing his hands up to try and stop them but he is powerless. The UK and Germany  are squabbling over a borderland piece and the knife in the pie represents Germany's aggressive intentions. The leader of France not being in the cutting is shown as being diplomatic and her closeness to Nicholas II shows the Franco-Russian Alliance.  It is meant to be a figurative representation of the imperialist tendencies of these nations towards China during the decade. Since the artist is French his opinion is that France is being the most diplomatic by going along with what Russia wants. I think that this cartoon shows how much each country was and wanted to be imperialistic in the way they are dividing up China.

This political cartoon is showing John Bull from England as the "octopus of imperialism". John Bull is a national personification of Great Britain. This is showing that during imperialism England had a hand in every part of the world. The author's opinion is that England was the most imperialistic nation of the time because of having a foothold in every part of the world. I think that this cartoon shows how powerful England was at the time because of how much territory it had.

This cartoon shows George W. Bush taking a stand against imperialism. It shows him criticizing Russia while he is standing on Afghanistan and Iraq and holding Israel on a leash with Palestine in its mouth. This shows that we have control of those four countries. The author's opinion is that Bush is being a hypocrite because he is bad mouthing Russia while he is controlling those countries he's standing on or holding. I think that this cartoon is right about what George W. Bush had been doing.