Imperialism Dbq Essay

Imperialism, a policy in which one country of cultural, economic and cultural life influences and dominates another nation. There were several causes responsible for the new imperialism that took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, one being the improvements that regions made due to the Industrial Revolution. A sense of biasness from the Western nations, as well as America, and the desire to stand as the top, strongest country came about, triggering political and social forces to occur. Social Darwinism, an element of ruthlessness, the African slave trade, and demands for raw resources were a few economic forces that also led to the new imperialism. In the late 1800s, after strengthening due the Industrial Revolution, Western countries had built empires overseas. These nations had many advantages as well, examples would be in communication,

Countries like America and Britain, believed they were well off and the best. That other countries should follow their ways and traditions, and with doing so, they would improve. American Senator A.J. Beveridge states that the U.S. has resources in surplus, and that the country should be the leader in trades by establishing trading posts and selling their products (Doc. Two). According to Cecil Rhodes, the British were the best race, and that the more colonies that they conquered, the better it is for the world (Doc. Five). Race also played a role in Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” (1899), where he described his view of imperialism (Doc. Six). He had advised America to do the same that several European nations had done, to shift to imperialism, and enliven people of color. America taking over the Philippines seemed like an act of kindness mainly because they believed the latter could not self-govern the country. To an outsider, it would look as if the U.S. prevented a disaster from