Goal 6.01 Webquest
Directions: Use the links below to access information and then answer the questions below on your webquest sheet!
Background Information: Between 1890 and 1914, powerful countries like the U.S., Great Britain, and France began to expand their power across the globe.
Great Britain, France, and the U.S. increased their power by gaining less powerful colonies in places such as Africa and South America. European countries would often take natural resources such as minerals, oil, gold, rubber to use for themselves. They also used the Africans and South Americans as cheap or slave labor to take these resources.
Colonies: territories under the control of another nation; usually used to make money by getting resources; most of these nations were full of non-white people in South America, India, and Africa
Because the U.S. wanted to gain more territories and become more powerful in the world, the U.S. becomes more imperialistic.
Imperialism - the economic, military, political, and cultural influence of the United States on other countries.
Spheres of Influence: area or region over which a state exerts some kind of economic or political domination such as Asia and Africa during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Great Britain, France, and the U.S. increased their power by gaining less powerful colonies in places such as Africa and South America. European countries would often take natural resources such as minerals, oil, gold, rubber to use for themselves. They also used the Africans and South Americans as cheap or slave labor to take these resources.
Colonies: territories under the control of another nation; usually used to make money by getting resources; most of these nations were full of non-white people in South America, India, and Africa
Because the U.S. wanted to gain more territories and become more powerful in the world, the U.S. becomes more imperialistic.
Imperialism - the economic, military, political, and cultural influence of the United States on other countries.
Spheres of Influence: area or region over which a state exerts some kind of economic or political domination such as Asia and Africa during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Section 1: World Powers Gain Colonies
Information: In 1885, European countries met at the Berlin Conference. Here they divided up Africa and took colonies for their own. For instance, the European country Belgium, took the African territory of Congo so they could exploit the rubber to be found. Answer the questions below.
Alfred T. Mahan:
Consider the following quote from Mahan:
"Whether we will it or no, Americans must now look outward to the seas and other countries. The growing production of the country demands it. An increasing volume of public opinion demands it."
3. Considering the quote above, does Mahan support the U.S. and other European countries controlling other countries? Why or why not?
4. Is this an example of imperialism? Explain your reasoning.
- His Ideas on the importance of sea power caused many nations to build stronger navies
- Wrote The Influence of Seapower Upon History,1660-1783
Consider the following quote from Mahan:
"Whether we will it or no, Americans must now look outward to the seas and other countries. The growing production of the country demands it. An increasing volume of public opinion demands it."
3. Considering the quote above, does Mahan support the U.S. and other European countries controlling other countries? Why or why not?
4. Is this an example of imperialism? Explain your reasoning.
Section 2 : U.S. People Look to Gain Power
Inspired by Alfred T. Mahan's book and other nations finding to gain colonies to exploit, people in the U.S. also wanted to gain control of territory outside of its borders.
Josiah Strong:
"White Man's Burden":
5. How do you think Kipling's poem the "White Man's Burden" relates to the idea of Social Darwinism? Use the link below to refresh your memory about the concept of Social Darwinism.
Click here for Definition of Social Darwinism
Josiah Strong:
- Wrote “Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis” (1885)
- Book was intended to promote missionary activity in the American West but was used to support U.S. going abroad
"White Man's Burden":
- Poem by Rudyard Kipling
- Poem said it was America’s responsibility or "burden" to dominate other countries; to civilize savages
5. How do you think Kipling's poem the "White Man's Burden" relates to the idea of Social Darwinism? Use the link below to refresh your memory about the concept of Social Darwinism.
Click here for Definition of Social Darwinism
Political Cartoon Exercise
Click on the link to the right to view a political cartoon entitled "The White Man's Burden". Illustrated in 1899, this cartoon depicts what Kipling is trying to say in his poem of the same name.
6. Who do you think is carrying the baskets? 7. Describe the people who are in the baskets. Do they look well dressed? Silly? What is their ethnicity? 8. Where are the men with baskets going? What is their destination? 9. What message do you think the author is trying to show in this cartoon about what the white man's burden is? |
Section 3: Nationalism Develops
As more Americans began to support the U.S. gaining more power worldwide, the U.S. government began to take this stance. The U.S. began to build its military. Like the idea of Manifest Destiny, the U.S. felt it was their duty and right to expand outward to all points in the continent.
Jingoism: country’s use of threats or force against other countries to safeguard what it perceives as its’ national interests
Social Darwinism – assumption that superior groups out compete inferior ones
Nationalism – a feeling of being loyal to and proud of one's country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries; pushed colonial ideas
Anglo-Saxon Superiority - Feeling that Anglo-Saxons (whites) were superior to other races and ethnicities and should rule over them.
Jingoism: country’s use of threats or force against other countries to safeguard what it perceives as its’ national interests
Social Darwinism – assumption that superior groups out compete inferior ones
Nationalism – a feeling of being loyal to and proud of one's country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries; pushed colonial ideas
Anglo-Saxon Superiority - Feeling that Anglo-Saxons (whites) were superior to other races and ethnicities and should rule over them.
- Guided colonialism since the U.S. and other European countries colonized (took over) less developed countries who usually were of a different race
- Used as an excuse for colonialism because American's wanted to "civilize" what they considered savages
Illustration Exercise
Considering the terms above, look at the illustration to the left.
10. Do you think the three women on the right are Americans or not? What are they doing? 11. Who do you think the woman on the left represents? Consider what she is wearing. 12. Who do you think the man is in the back of the picture? 13. What message do you think the author is trying to say in this illustration? |
Connection to Today: Blood Diamonds
Ever since Africa was colonized in the 1800s, it has been a poor continent that is often still exploited or used by others. One business that is still popular is the mining of diamonds. Large companies will hire cheap labor in Africa to mine the diamonds. Read the following article about blood diamonds and answer the following questions:
Channel One: Blood Diamonds
14. Why do you think the diamonds that are mined in this region are called "blood diamonds"?
15. From reading the article, why do you think so many citizens of Sierra Leone would agree to work in the diamond mines even if it is illegal?
Channel One: Blood Diamonds
14. Why do you think the diamonds that are mined in this region are called "blood diamonds"?
15. From reading the article, why do you think so many citizens of Sierra Leone would agree to work in the diamond mines even if it is illegal?