What is the difference between colonialism and imperialism? Where do the two intersect?
Colonialism and imperialism share many similarities, but they still remain two separate concepts; “Colonialism and imperialism are often used interchangeably, but they are two different words having different meaning. As both colonialism and imperialism means political and economic domination of the other, scholars often find it hard to differentiate the two.” Both colonialism and imperialism mean economic and political domination of another country. The main difference between the two is that colonialism is looked at as a practice, while imperialism is the idea driving the practice.
Colonialism began about 400 years ago and forever changed our economic layout. It is defined as acquiring partial or full political control over another country, settling there, followed by exploiting and expanding the colony; “Colonialism is a term where a country conquers and rules over other regions. It means exploiting the resources of the conquered country for the benefit of the conqueror.” Colonialism is a large movement of people to another area, where they will live as permanent settlers. An example of colonialism would be when Great Britain set up colonies in what is now America. They sent settlers there to take over to new land and gain resources from it. |
On the other hand, imperialism is expanding a country using either diplomacy or military force; “The confusion about the meaning of the term imperialism reflects the way that the concept has changed over time...Imperialism was understood as a system of military domination and sovereignty over territories.” Imperialism is currently known as demonstrating power over other areas by using either extreme power, or indirect control. An example of imperialism would have occurred in the 1880s when the Navy expanded and was victorious in the Spanish-American War. This helped America establish themselves as an imperial power because Spain was forced to give power of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to America.
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How do the approaches for industrialization differ between Britain and Japan? How are they similar?
Britain and Japan are looked at as pioneers of industrialization, which means that they played huge roles in modernizing our world. However, they both industrialized in different ways. The main differences between the industrialization of Britain and Japan were their origin, timing, and approach; “...The two countries took utterly different roads to industrialism, power and wealth. Britain, the first industrial nation, evolved slowly without knowing - because nobody then knew what an Industrial Revolution was - where she was going or what the end of modernization would be. Japan, coming late to economic growth in a world which saw and felt only too clearly what the gains and dangers of industrialism were, adopted it self-consciously and with explosive and revolutionary speed.” Britain began the first industrial revolution, creating a whole new concept that had never before been breached. Meanwhile, Japan began to industrialize much later than Britain, but still remained one of the first countries to begin industrialism. Europe’s industrial revolution spanned from the 1790s to the 1830s, while Japan industrialized in the 1870s-1900s.
Industrialization in Britain was powered by competition for resources and power. They aspired to create more awareness about commerce, exploration, trade, and development of new technologies. Britain was one of the first to industrialize in Europe because they had many factors that made their journey to industrialization almost inevitable. One reason for their industrial revolution was because of their access to coal deposits. In addition, iron and steel became a huge factor in industrialization because they were easily accessible and produced in large quantities. Also, cotton products drove the development of cotton textile industries. At the same time the colonies in America provided overseas resources that increased their ability to industrialize. Initially, people were apprehensive to the change due to low wages and unemployment; “Britain had the first Industrial Revolution because she had the right kind of society to generate it; but for that very reason she was riot forced to change her society as much as later developing countries.” Eventually people began to accept industrialization and more people than ever were moving from farms to factories and the majority of production was now in corporations and big businesses. Production of almost everything was becoming much faster and more efficient. New technologies such as a weaving process, a spinning process, a water-driven power loom, and a steam engine all went towards the industrialization of Britain.
Conversely, Japan reformed due to foreign pressure and because they did not want to be controlled by foreign powers. They also needed to build a better army and navy, which spurred them on to industrialize; “Japan imposed self-isolation and developed later, while [Britain] was more open to ideas.” The government pushed industrialization and hired experts to show workers how to become more modern; “Japan...has astonished the world by the degree to which she was prepared to change her society in order to industrialize, and the speed at which, in less than a hundred years, she transformed herself from a feudal society of samurai, artisans and peasants into one of the most efficient industrial and egalitarian meritocracies in the world.” To increase industrialization, the Japanese government created railroads, mines. They had new systems of banking, and industries such as shipbuilding, armaments, silk, cotton, chemicals, and glass were established. Japan founded new businesses and opened new schools and universities. For instance, in 1877, the Bank of Japanused was founded and used tax money to fund model steel and textile factories. They expanded education and even sent many people to west to be taught.
However, Japan and Britain did take similar steps on their road to industrialization. Japan and Britain both industrialized significantly in the clothing industry, and poorly paid women in sweatshops worked. In addition, Both countries created internal railway systems and shipping companies.
Industrialization in Britain was powered by competition for resources and power. They aspired to create more awareness about commerce, exploration, trade, and development of new technologies. Britain was one of the first to industrialize in Europe because they had many factors that made their journey to industrialization almost inevitable. One reason for their industrial revolution was because of their access to coal deposits. In addition, iron and steel became a huge factor in industrialization because they were easily accessible and produced in large quantities. Also, cotton products drove the development of cotton textile industries. At the same time the colonies in America provided overseas resources that increased their ability to industrialize. Initially, people were apprehensive to the change due to low wages and unemployment; “Britain had the first Industrial Revolution because she had the right kind of society to generate it; but for that very reason she was riot forced to change her society as much as later developing countries.” Eventually people began to accept industrialization and more people than ever were moving from farms to factories and the majority of production was now in corporations and big businesses. Production of almost everything was becoming much faster and more efficient. New technologies such as a weaving process, a spinning process, a water-driven power loom, and a steam engine all went towards the industrialization of Britain.
Conversely, Japan reformed due to foreign pressure and because they did not want to be controlled by foreign powers. They also needed to build a better army and navy, which spurred them on to industrialize; “Japan imposed self-isolation and developed later, while [Britain] was more open to ideas.” The government pushed industrialization and hired experts to show workers how to become more modern; “Japan...has astonished the world by the degree to which she was prepared to change her society in order to industrialize, and the speed at which, in less than a hundred years, she transformed herself from a feudal society of samurai, artisans and peasants into one of the most efficient industrial and egalitarian meritocracies in the world.” To increase industrialization, the Japanese government created railroads, mines. They had new systems of banking, and industries such as shipbuilding, armaments, silk, cotton, chemicals, and glass were established. Japan founded new businesses and opened new schools and universities. For instance, in 1877, the Bank of Japanused was founded and used tax money to fund model steel and textile factories. They expanded education and even sent many people to west to be taught.
However, Japan and Britain did take similar steps on their road to industrialization. Japan and Britain both industrialized significantly in the clothing industry, and poorly paid women in sweatshops worked. In addition, Both countries created internal railway systems and shipping companies.
Compare life in: English Thirteen Colonies (1700s) and British India (1800s);
Life in the Thirteen Colonies and British India were very different when compared to each other. Especially when compared to our modern world, they are extremely unusual. Considering the fact that the English Colonies existed in the 1700s and British India occurred in the 1800s, their entire existence was different than ours. While we shared some basic similarities, everything at that time period was just becoming modernized. Things that have become integrated as part of our daily lives were new and uncommon during those times. British India and the Thirteen Colonies shared different values, technologies, and lifestyles.
The English colonies were thirteen settlements of English colonists that lived in America. Every American colony had a governor that was chosen by the King of England. Many held assemblies, much like the parliament in England. They collected taxes and passed laws. However, only tax-paying citizens that owned land could vote in an assembly. People did not hold the same equal rights. In a few colonies, you had to practice a certain religion to be allowed to vote. Women did not have the right to vote and women who were married were not permitted to own land. English colonists were proficient at growing their own food. Their main food for survival was corn and wheat, and they also raised cattle that provided them with meat, milk, and butter. In addition, they kept chicken and sheep and hunted for fish. The English suffered horrible winters and struggled to survive, which just added to their hardships. The settlers in the American colonies were extremely religious. Children were taught to read the Bible by their parents, as it was often the only book some families owned. Many families even paid a teacher to privately run a school to teach math, Latin, and various other subjects. Wealthier colonies in the South taught children at home through private teachers. Some families even sent older children to Europe for higher learning at colleges and universities. The first university, Harvard, was founded in America in 1636. The colonies embraced every Christian denomination. Many people even were expected pray daily and attending church every Sunday was the norm. Poor people were supposed to sit in the back, while the rich were allowed to sit on the front benches.
In British India, Indian servants were often hired to help British mothers raise and care for their children. The British people were often apprehensive of this, though, because they did not want their children to be in close relations with the servants. “British mothers generally depended on Indian wet nurses to nurse their children...The wet nurses, commonly called ammahs, were low-caste Hindus or Muslims. Many memsahibs (British married women in India) hired an Indian wet nurse for the infants and Indian ayahs (nurses) for the other needs of their children, although many greatly disliked the idea. Besides having an ayah, many Anglo-Indian parents hired a male servant, or bearer, for their male children. Anglo-Indian children spent most of their waking hours with Indian servants. These domestics, serving frequently as playmates, taught the children Hindi words like bhaia (brother) and baba (infant), and often "papa" and "mama" as well. Children generally developed a close attachment to their ayahs and bearers and the close bond served to provide comfort to the children when the families were in transit.” This was a stark difference from the colonies, where women were taught to become homemakers, raise children, and perform household tasks. Their education even contrasted the teaching taught in the colonies, as the colonies focused much of their education on teaching from the Bible. In British India, boys were trained to be non-commissioned officers, regimental clerks, as well as other similar jobs. Girls were taught how to be wives for powerful men. Women’s standings in British India and the Thirteen Colonies were somewhat more similar than men’s, as women were mostly expected to become wives. In addition, the majority of Anglo-Indian parents were worried that their children's’ values would be weakened if they stayed in India for too long. This is why many people sent their children to England at young ages. Young boys left India by the age of five, while girls went back by the time they were seven or eight. This is completely different from the colonies because they had moved to America for more freedom, and they embraced starting a new culture.
The English colonies were thirteen settlements of English colonists that lived in America. Every American colony had a governor that was chosen by the King of England. Many held assemblies, much like the parliament in England. They collected taxes and passed laws. However, only tax-paying citizens that owned land could vote in an assembly. People did not hold the same equal rights. In a few colonies, you had to practice a certain religion to be allowed to vote. Women did not have the right to vote and women who were married were not permitted to own land. English colonists were proficient at growing their own food. Their main food for survival was corn and wheat, and they also raised cattle that provided them with meat, milk, and butter. In addition, they kept chicken and sheep and hunted for fish. The English suffered horrible winters and struggled to survive, which just added to their hardships. The settlers in the American colonies were extremely religious. Children were taught to read the Bible by their parents, as it was often the only book some families owned. Many families even paid a teacher to privately run a school to teach math, Latin, and various other subjects. Wealthier colonies in the South taught children at home through private teachers. Some families even sent older children to Europe for higher learning at colleges and universities. The first university, Harvard, was founded in America in 1636. The colonies embraced every Christian denomination. Many people even were expected pray daily and attending church every Sunday was the norm. Poor people were supposed to sit in the back, while the rich were allowed to sit on the front benches.
In British India, Indian servants were often hired to help British mothers raise and care for their children. The British people were often apprehensive of this, though, because they did not want their children to be in close relations with the servants. “British mothers generally depended on Indian wet nurses to nurse their children...The wet nurses, commonly called ammahs, were low-caste Hindus or Muslims. Many memsahibs (British married women in India) hired an Indian wet nurse for the infants and Indian ayahs (nurses) for the other needs of their children, although many greatly disliked the idea. Besides having an ayah, many Anglo-Indian parents hired a male servant, or bearer, for their male children. Anglo-Indian children spent most of their waking hours with Indian servants. These domestics, serving frequently as playmates, taught the children Hindi words like bhaia (brother) and baba (infant), and often "papa" and "mama" as well. Children generally developed a close attachment to their ayahs and bearers and the close bond served to provide comfort to the children when the families were in transit.” This was a stark difference from the colonies, where women were taught to become homemakers, raise children, and perform household tasks. Their education even contrasted the teaching taught in the colonies, as the colonies focused much of their education on teaching from the Bible. In British India, boys were trained to be non-commissioned officers, regimental clerks, as well as other similar jobs. Girls were taught how to be wives for powerful men. Women’s standings in British India and the Thirteen Colonies were somewhat more similar than men’s, as women were mostly expected to become wives. In addition, the majority of Anglo-Indian parents were worried that their children's’ values would be weakened if they stayed in India for too long. This is why many people sent their children to England at young ages. Young boys left India by the age of five, while girls went back by the time they were seven or eight. This is completely different from the colonies because they had moved to America for more freedom, and they embraced starting a new culture.