Self Reflection Chapter 25

This was a very interesting chapter. Western expansion and European imperialism have been mentioned in books I've read or movies I've watched, and we touched on how imperialism affected China and Japan last year in US History, but until we covered this chapter I've never had a solid understanding of imperialism, and British involvement in Egypt and India. It's nice to finally have a good understanding of the period. It's also helpful in understanding why imperialism is such a dirty word today. When you hear criticisms of US intervention in foreign countries as being imperialistic, it automatically registers as undesirable, but you don't truly understand how awful it is for a nation to be imperialistic until you've learned about some of the ghastly motivations and effects of European imperialism.

Spotlight on the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean and Red seas. It was installed by the British, under the Suez Canal Company, and today is owned by the Suez Canal Authority, which in turn is owned by the Egyptian government. It is one of the most important waterways in the world, and is used extensively. It is the fastest way to cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and thus is one of the world's most used shipping lanes.

Uprising in Syria

In March of 2011, protests erupted in Damascus, the capital of Syria. The protests were led by Syrians who opposed the regime of President Assad, and they demanded the release of political prisoners. Assad released some prisoners, but the unrest in Damascus didn't completely settle, and Assad turned to other tactics in an attempt to end the uprising, sending in tanks and troops. During this time, the opposition formed the Free Syrian Army, and organized the Syrian National Council. Fighting continued, and in August of 2012 the UN formally asked Assad to resign, and president Obama warned against the use of chemical weapons. Later in that year, the different factions of Syrian opposition formed the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, which was then recognized by several countries, including the US, as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Early in 2013 Assad's warplanes bombed a rebel-controlled city, and the US and Britain pledged non-military aid to the Syrian opposition. Soon afterwards, reports emerged of chemical weapon use, and the US and Britain demanded investigations. In the fall of 2013, UN investigators concluded that chemical weapons were used, but did not allocate blame. Soon afterward, the US and Russia negotiated an agreement that Syria's chemical weapons would be destroyed. Unrest in Syria is still ongoing.

The Sepoy Mutiny

India was the jewel of the British Empire, and its most prized colony. In 1857, all independent states in India had been conquered, and India was governed primarily by the British East India Company. The British army in India contained Sepoys, Indian soldiers. In 1857, the Sepoys revolted. The insurrection erupted when the Sepoys, all Muslims and Hindus, were told they had to bite off cartridges for their guns that were greased in animal fat.This violated the religious beliefs of the Sepoys, and they were outraged. The initial mutiny grew, and the rebellion spread throughout northern and central India before it was squashed by the British. The rebellion was completely unsuccessful, and British power over India actually increased. British rule lasted until India finally gained independence in 1947.

2 US Events (Chapter 25)

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by US President Chester Arthur. The act was one of the most significant restrictions ever made on immigration in the US. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the US. This immigration act was similar to restrictions made on immigration by countries in Europe at the time. It was one of the "great white walls" that prevented Asians from immigrating to the US and Europe during the age of imperialism.

Annexation of Hawaii

In 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in a coup led by mostly American citizens living in Hawaii. Queen Liliʻuokalani was arrested, and the Republic of Hawaii was established. Almost immediately after the overthrow, the new government of Hawaii petitioned to be annexed by the US. After a couple of years, annexation was sucessfully negotiated, and the Newlands Resolution passed Congress and was signed by US President William McKinley, creating the Territory of Hawaii. The picture above shows a ceremony celebrating the annexation. By annexing Hawaii, the US was following the example of European countries, that during this period were going into foreign places and taking over.

US Imperialism

Political Cartoon

This cartoon depicts US forces leaving Iraq after taking down Saddam Hussein. The US troops are passing a sign that represents Iraqi anger at the United States's intervention, and asserts that the US troops are "imperialist pigs". The artist clearly was not a fan of the Iraq War, and believes that US motives for intervention were imperialistic, which is not entirely accurate. The US didn't invade Iraq to civilize its people and exploit its natural resources, but as a part of its "war on terror".

Has the US been imperialistic?
The US invasion of Iraq way not have been imperialistic, but there have been times in the past when the US has acted on imperialism, namely in the Spanish American war, the annexation of Hawaii, and in Panama. In these instances, the US acquired territory for its own gain while extending its authority over other territories.

Political Cartoons

This is a cartoon of John Bull, a personification of Britain, taking in an orphaned baby Uganda, poking fun at Britain colonizing Uganda. The artist is showing the condescending and paternalistic attitude of imperialism, showing that the British view the country and people of Uganda as childish, or incompetent.

This cartoon is mocking the idea of the "white man's burden", showing instead the black man's burden, depicting an African man carrying all of the troubles European involvement in Africa wrought.