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Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine originated by president James Monroe in 1823. It stated that any external powers having an intervention in the politics of the Americas can be considered a potentially hostile act against the US. -
First Opium War
This War was between China and Great Britain, and was about the illegal trading of opium to China from British merchants. Great Britain was having trouble finding anything at all that Chinese would be interested in purchasing, and their answer would be Opium. The war was started after Britain refused to stop the illegal trade despite China's recent prohibitions on the importation of Opium. -
Extraterritorial Rights Over China
China eventually gave into global pressure by granting extraterritorial rights to other powerful nations. This meant that every nation was free to visit China and trade goods through merchants as often as the felt necessary. Before the 1800s, China refused all foreign trade by implementing the "closed country" policy. -
Crimean War
The Crimean war was a conflict in which Russia lost in battle to an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia. Russia however immediatly seized the black sea from Ottoman control during the beginning of the war. One long term effect of this war was the gradual decline of the Ottoman Empire. -
Treaty Of Kanagawa
In 1854, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry represented the U.S. government in Tokyo by signing the treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese government. The signing of that treaty opened two popular Japanese ports to American trade and also permitted the establishment of the U.S. consulate in Japan. -
Sepoy Mutiny
Also commonly known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857, this rebellion threatened East India Company power in central and upper India. This was started by sepoy mutiny that gradually escalated into large civilian attacks on government in India and figures high in power during this time. -
Zulu Nation Falls To British Rule
The British nation was attracted to the Zulu area in search for trade and treasures. In 1870, a Britsh colony arose near the Zulu nation and nearly a decade passed before either engaged in war. Once they did, the Zulus were no match for the experienced British and they were defeated in a humiliating battle that resulted in the Zulu king fleeing the area. -
Maxim Gun Invented
Invented by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, the maxim gun was the first recoil operated machine gun.This invention was a key factor in British imperial conquest because it gave the British an edge in every battle they participated in. It also evened out wars if one side greatly outweighed the other in terms of army size because it allowed a large number of soldiers to be fired upon a the same time. -
McKinley Tariff Act
In 1890, William McKinley, a republican U.S. house representative from Ohio, introduced the McKinley Tarrif Act. This was a tarrif bill that suggested protective import taxes should be placed on all of America's foreign goods. -
Battle Of Adowa
This war was fought between the Ethiopian Empire and the kindom of Italy. It took place during Europe's imperialsim of Africa. Italy, however, had very few territories conquered in Africa and wished to expand their holdings by taking Ethiopia and combining it with its other conquered lands that neighbored Ethiopia. -
Hawaii Annexed By United States
By the time the United States had settled down and began looking for land to control, most of the world had already been conquered by powerful nations. Only a few sections of Africa and Asia were available for imperial grasp. Hawaii was the closest and most practical expansion for the United States. -
Boer War
Boers often fled to the Cape in Africa to escape British rule. Throughout the 1800s tensions between Boers and the Britsh were very high and only increased with the discovery of gold and diamonds in the Boer region. In order to protct their freedom, the Boers launched an attack against the Britsh trespassers and from there, the Boer war began. -
China Begins Massive Reforms
After a gigantic civil war and quite a few internal rebellions, China became very weak. This left them exposed to other nations and could have been seized by other powerful nations in the world. China realized that massive reforms and modernization must be put into place in order to remain a powerful nation and a force on the worldwide scale. -
Belgian Government Takes Control Of Congo
King Leopold of Begium created a colony in the Congo with the support of western countries. Belgium controlling the Congo was widely recognized and led to other nations trying to take portions of Africa for themselves. Belgium took official control over the Congo in 1908 and from then on it became known as "The Belgium Congo". -
Porfirio Diaz Steps Down From Power
Diaz was unliked by many civilians, and his actions were appreciated by few. Francisco Madero, "Pancho" Villa, and Emiliano Zapata were a few of the most poweeful figures who led the revolution against Diaz. After those three won important victories against Diaz, he agreed to step down in the spring of 1911, allowing for reforms to be put in place.
