CH 18 + Documents
Europe's western expansion halted once North America was acquired, now it was about colonizing in Asia, Africa and Oceania. What is surprising is new countries were now involved, including more European countries, United States and Japan. These countries ended up being know as the "Great Powers", which seem similar to today's top countries. Things have not changed. We continually are looking for a better product to see, more resources and more land. Today, most of the products in the US are made in China. What is interesting is how Europe wanted to sell to China due to its huge population, however we now have become heavily invested in products made in China. Oh how the tables have turned.
US became its own power and started to see that power and influence meant acquiring land. Afro-Asian countries and territories were not about what they had to offer, it was just about who own who and how much. It is similar to today, we are constantly comparing ourselves to other countries and constantly trying to overpower, be number 1, the smartest and so on. Afro-Asian countries were threatened or military force was used to infiltrate the territory and falter to the invading country.
I feel like a new racism arose, and while it has been around for ages-- science only deepened this claim. Scientific racism not only fueled this belief but it created new racisms that were not as prominent as before. African and Asia were respected one before, but now their status was taken to a lower level. Europe started to believe that their race was superior and it was their responsibility to civilize the uncivilized. Racism seems to have spread more and more and with Europe advancing- it only led that belief to prosper.
African countries started to experience change once Europe started to imperialize them. This was just another form of slavery. When cash-crops started to help local farmers, the lack of labor just reintroduced the need for workers. The need for workers increased and new ways to solve for that problem came about. Some men would marry women just so they had an extra hand to help but didn't provide for them otherwise. The lives of other women did change, while men were in charge of cash-crops, the responsibilities of the women increased as well. Women became in control of providing food, especially when the men moved to the city and didn't make enough. Which is similar to today. Most women are still seen as a only good for the household, and while there is nothing wrong with that-- it just shows how far we have come but also how little we have changed.
The Scramble for Africa is quite sad. The artworks just depicts Europeans as being the elite race and Africans just there to serve. To be quite honest, it was just a new way of slavery. These countries saw Africa as vulnerable and since this race needed to be "civilized", they needed to step in and do something about it. The acquisition of these lands was driven by greed, at the cost of lives that they did not see as worthy.
US became its own power and started to see that power and influence meant acquiring land. Afro-Asian countries and territories were not about what they had to offer, it was just about who own who and how much. It is similar to today, we are constantly comparing ourselves to other countries and constantly trying to overpower, be number 1, the smartest and so on. Afro-Asian countries were threatened or military force was used to infiltrate the territory and falter to the invading country.
I feel like a new racism arose, and while it has been around for ages-- science only deepened this claim. Scientific racism not only fueled this belief but it created new racisms that were not as prominent as before. African and Asia were respected one before, but now their status was taken to a lower level. Europe started to believe that their race was superior and it was their responsibility to civilize the uncivilized. Racism seems to have spread more and more and with Europe advancing- it only led that belief to prosper.
African countries started to experience change once Europe started to imperialize them. This was just another form of slavery. When cash-crops started to help local farmers, the lack of labor just reintroduced the need for workers. The need for workers increased and new ways to solve for that problem came about. Some men would marry women just so they had an extra hand to help but didn't provide for them otherwise. The lives of other women did change, while men were in charge of cash-crops, the responsibilities of the women increased as well. Women became in control of providing food, especially when the men moved to the city and didn't make enough. Which is similar to today. Most women are still seen as a only good for the household, and while there is nothing wrong with that-- it just shows how far we have come but also how little we have changed.
The Scramble for Africa is quite sad. The artworks just depicts Europeans as being the elite race and Africans just there to serve. To be quite honest, it was just a new way of slavery. These countries saw Africa as vulnerable and since this race needed to be "civilized", they needed to step in and do something about it. The acquisition of these lands was driven by greed, at the cost of lives that they did not see as worthy.
Comments
Post a Comment