U.S.

Imperialism
The U.S. was a major imperialistic country in the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. When it annexed
Texas, which was at the time Mexican territory, the Mexicans got angry got engaged in the War with
Mexico. The U.S. won and the whole northern territory of Mexico (now California) became U.S. territory.
Cuba was also unhappy with the U.S., and yearned for independence even after losing at their first
attempt. The Spanish-American war ensued and Cuba once again lost. The U.S. installed a military
government there and Cuban resentment towards the U.S. grew once again. As a result of winning this
war, the U.S. gained Puerto Rico and Guam. Because the Spanish were no longer in trade with the
Philippines because of this, the US picked their spot. However, the Filipino nationalists were not happy,
and started war. They lost, but the U.S. promised them Independence. As a result of yet another one of
the wars they fought in, the U.S. gained the Panama area, which they used to build Panama Canal. The
U.S. also drafted the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the Americas were under U.S. protection. The
Roosevelt Corollary was later added to the doctrine, making any actions the U.S. claimed to have upheld
the Monroe Doctrine legal. Due to a sugar growing crisis in Hawaii, the people there overthrew the
queen and were annexed by the U.S. (Annexation of Hawaii).
European Imperialism of Africa
In the years of 1884 and 1885, representatives of various European countries met up in the
Berlin Conference to decide rules upon African colonization without the Africans assent. As a result of
this, many Africans were displeased with Great Britains colonization and started the Boer War. The
Africans were crushed. Many countries then started to take interest in colonizing the Congo, which led
to much technological advancement to counter the horrors inside. By 1914, the only countries that were
free were Liberia and Ethiopia. King Leopold II was a very cruel leader who employed brutal oil
companies to enslave the Africans to do their work. David Livingstone was a doctor who had lived in
Africa with the natives, experiencing their pains alongside them.
British Imperialism in India
When Britain first imperialized India, they installed the East India Company as a sort of
government there. When word got out that Britain was making their Indian composed army (Sepoys)
use weapons against their beliefs, the Sepoy Rebellion occurred. Nationalistic feeling stirred within the
Indians, and parties such as the Indian National Congress were formed. One man who came to be well-
known during the Indian movement for Independence was Mohandus Gandhi. He was a survivor of the
British shooting of a non-violence preaching (the Amritsar Massacre) and later led the Salt March, a
symbolic walk to the beach showing that India could survive without Britain. Gandhi was a preacher of
civil disobedience, and never resorted to violence in order to stress his point.



Japanese Imperialism i n Asia
Western countries werent the only nations to imperialize; Japanese Imperialism played a huge
part in deciding the future of Asia as well. In the beginning, there was the Treaty of Kanagawa, proposed
from U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry to the Shogun, ending Japanese isolation and permitting foreign
trade. The people scorned the Shogun for giving into the foreigners, and a man named Mutsuhito took
control of the government, leading the country into the Meiji Era, where Japan went through a period of
modernization to counter Western influence. Japan soon became the leading military power in Asia,
forcing Korea to open three ports to Japanese trade. China considered Korea its trading partner, and the
Sino-Japanese War occurred, ending with the Japanese destroying Chinas navy, taking control of Korea,
and gaining a foothold in Manchuria. That got the Russians angry, initiating the Russo-Japanese War.
Japan drove Russia out of Korea and destroyed their navy. A sphere of influence also formed inside
China, where an outside power claimed exclusive investment.