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Period: 323 to 356
356-323 BCE Imperialism in Greece
imperialism for dummiesAlexander the Great created a union of the eastern Mediterranean with western Asia was achieved. Yet he could not achieve a world in which all citizens lived equally with one another. He tried to create this in empire building from Britain to Egypt. But this idea was lost after the fall of Rome. -
Period: Apr 16, 1401 to Apr 16, 1500
Century Age of Exploration
Spain pioneered European exploration around the globe looking for new territory to gain. They were envious of the all the great empires being created by countries like France. So they started building there own empires in America and Asia. This is part of how empire building started in the Americas. -
The British colony of Singapore was founded
Sir Stamford Raffles established the British colony of Singapore. Singapore boasted a beautiful deep sea harbor that was perfectly situated in the critical sea lanes between India and China. It was the ideal port in the ideal location. While there he established Singapore by founding the Singapore constitution and also making industries such as the timber shipbuilding industry so strong. -
Mexico loses almost half of its territory to the United States
Between 1846 and 1848, two neighbors, the United States and Mexico, went to war. It was a defining event for both nations, transforming a continent and forging a new identity for both its peoples. By the war's end, Mexico lost nearly half of its territory, the present American Southwest from Texas to California, and the United States became a continental power. This was called the U.S.-Mexican war. -
David Livingstone is the first European to see Victoria Falls
In 1855 David Livingstone thrilled the world by reaching the Victoria Falls and describing their outstanding beauty for the first time to a European audience, but in 1871 Livingstone himself became the subject of an expedition. Livingston’s find was due to his 30 years of exploring uncharted regions of Africa. His exploring also led to Henry Stanley being sent by King Leopold II of Belgium to find him where he was eventually found -
Suez Canal is completed
The Suez Canal was known as the lifeline of the British Empire because it provided a path between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It was paid for by the French and worked on by the Egyptians. This was only one of the modernization efforts from Britain and it was very expensive. -
Zulu king meets British ambassadors
The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 remains one of the most dramatic in both British and southern African history. In retrospect, the war was provoked by an unwarranted act of British aggression. Shaka was the leader of the Zulu people in Africa he was the first person to unite all of the Zulu for one reason to revolt against the invading British people. King Zulu’s reign still influences South African culture today. -
“New Imperialism” begins
European Imperialism entered a phase where economic ventures were emphasized rather than political conquest, leaving China and Japan open to Western trade but still independent. By the mid-19th century many pundits argued that colonialism was outdated and burdensome, and should be abandoned. The new imperialism became known as “The scramble for Africa.” -
France makes the Vietnam Empire a protectorate
Starting in 1884, the French occupied the city of Saigon. During the next 30 years, they continued to extend their control over the rest of the country. In 1884, France seized the city of Hanoi and made the Vietnamese Empire a French Protectorate (political unit that depends on another government for its protection). During the rest of the 1880s France extended protection over neighboring Cambodia, Laos, Annam, and Tonkin. -
The Berlin Conference
When the race to gain African territory began, many European Countries feared it would bring war. They held the Berlin Conference to settle any disputes they had on who would gain control over what land. They concluded that any European nation could claim land as long as they showed that they had control over it. -
Period: to
Imperialism in China
By the end of the 18th century, China was so engulfed in the Neo Mercantile system that india was basically a stepping stone for trade with the British. The British realized they could make up what they were trading without China. When China found out about this, they took action. This sparked the start of the Opium wars. European powers such as Russia and Germany took control of Chinese economy. -
Britain and France agree to maintain Thailand as a buffer state
In the final quarter of the 19th century, both Britain and France tried to make Thailand into a colony. Two remarkable rulers prevented the takeover—King Mongkut (memorialized in The King and I) and his son King Chulalongkorn. Both promoted friendly relations with the West and Western learning. In 1896 France and Britain agreed to maintain Thailand as an independent buffer state between their possessions. -
The United States defeats Spain for control over the Philippines
The United States naval forces under Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish in Manila Bay in the Philippines. President William McKinley believed it was his moral duty to civilize other parts of the world. Colonizing the Philippines would also prevent it from coming under Japanese rule and would serve the United States’ interest in securing a jumping-off point for trade with China. Filipinos objected to the colonization, for example, Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of an independence movement. -
Virtually all of Southeast Asia is under European rule
By 1900 almost all of Southeast Asia was under Western rule. Great Britain led the way in the 19th century imperial colonialism. The British continued to move more and more deep within Southeast Asia throughout the rest of the upcoming decades. France began following in Great Britain’s lead, and by 1900 almost all of Southeast Asia was under Western rule. -
Emiliano Zapata leads peasant movement in Mexico
Emiliano Zapata was the leader of the peasant movement shortly after the turn of the twentieth century. He led the peasants in the Mexican Revolution, and they seized wealthy estates. His motto was Land and Liberty, and he basically wanted the land the rich hacienda owners stole from the peasants restored to them.
