Chapter 18 - European Colonies in Asia and Africa

In chapter 18, there is a focus towards how Europe continued its dominance towards other parts of the world that does not include the Western Hemisphere.

Under the subheading Industry and Empire, Europe had furthered developed its technology and now the focus shifted or at least considered the need of more raw goods. In page 880, Strayer writes, "The enormous productivity of industrial technology and Europe's growing affluence now created the need for extenisve raw materials and agricultural products: wheat from the American Midwest ... ,bananas from Central America, rubber from Brazil, cocoa and palm oil from West Africa, tea from Ceylon, gold and diamonds from South Africa."

In the same section, Strayer mentions the economic growth tht Europe had and that Europeans practiced profitting best from foreign countries rather than in their home space. In page 881, Strayer writes, "Wealthy Europeans also saw social benefits to foreign markets, which served to keep Europe's factories humming and its workers employed."

Strayer continues by adding how Europe's imperialization became popular through nationalism. Europe competed against Italy and Germany to gain more influence and or complete dominance in both Africa and Asia. In page 882, Strayer discusses how imperialism meant a significant amount of meaning and reason to control a space. 

Imperialism was learned that it was international power. Following, Strayer adds that industrialization changed how the Europeans understood themselves and perceived others; the Europeans developed a "...sense of religious superiority.." (882).

In page 883, things get really conflicting as Strayer includes the justification and reasoning behind the acts of the Europeans towards others. Although the vocabulary term was not mentioned, I think page 883 discusses the idea of "White Man's Burden." This idea connects with the reading because the text also speaks about the usage and relationship of science towards race.

Strayer writes the following, "...Europeans viewed the culture... of Asian and African peoples through the prism of a new kind of racism, expressed now in terms of modern science" (883). Also, "Phrenologists... used allegedly scientific methods and numerous instruments to classify the size and shape of human skulls and concluded, not surprizingly, that those of whites were larger and therefore more advanced" (883).