Essay by brittanyann March 2005

download word file, 1 pages 3.7

Between 1870 and 1920, European imperialism accelerated due to economic, political, and social forces. The Indutrial Revolution stirred the ambitions of European nations, and with the advances in technology, these nations were able to spread thier control over the less-developed areas in the world. This empire-building frenzy has been studied by historians who offer a variety of perspectives on its causes.

One cause of the New Imperialism according to economic force was the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution led to the New Imperialism because the makers of cotton of communication like the telegraph and the telephone. Vehicles, planes and, trains helped means of transportation. The American factories were making more goods than consumers needed so trading posts were established around the world(doc 2) .Trade contributed to the cause of the New Imperialism because it allowed colonies with no natural resources to trade for and buy them from other countries.

This helped other countries to make profits.

Many stated that Imperialism was the natural effect of the idea of 'survival of the fittest.' This is best represented by Rudyard Kipling in the book 'White Man's Burden,'(doc 6) . This famous poem, written by Britain's imperial poet, was a response to the American take over of the Phillipines after the Spanish-American War. Rudyard Kipling is often ignored today, because his exultation in the supposed moral and cultural superiority of European (and specifically British) civilization

Another cause of the New Imperialism was political impacts. Raymond Aron's book The Century Of Total War state that the quest of capitalists profits, and that they all originanted in political ambitions (doc3). He states that "the nations' will to power .. glory or national greatness"