AP Modern World History Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization

Unit Big Picture

From roughly 1750 to 1900, the technological and economic power generated by industrialization fundamentally reshaped the global balance of power. Industrialized states in Europe, the United States, and Japan embarked on a new era of imperialism, using new ideologies and military advantages to expand their control over vast territories in Africa and Asia. This expansion created a new global economy dependent on the flow of raw materials and manufactured goods, sparking large-scale migrations and a wide range of responses from colonized peoples.

Core Threads

Thread 1: The New Imperialism: Justifications and Methods

• Industrial powers developed new ideologies, such as Social Darwinism (the belief that certain races or nations were inherently superior and destined to rule over others), nationalism, and the concept of a "civilizing mission" to justify their global expansion.

• States used warfare, diplomacy, and the establishment of settler colonies (territories where foreign families move to live permanently, displacing the indigenous population) to take direct control of some areas, while expanding their influence in others through economic dominance.

Thread 2: A Globalized World: Economies and Peoples in Motion

• The demand for raw materials and new markets led to the development of export economies and economic imperialism, a situation where a foreign power has significant economic influence or control over another country without formal political rule.

• New global economic opportunities and coercive labor systems caused large-scale migrations, leading to the creation of ethnic enclaves (urban neighborhoods dominated by a single immigrant group) and significant demographic and cultural changes worldwide.

Timeline (Compact)

Turning Points

Unit Evidence Bank

1. King Leopold II of Belgium: The monarch who established the Congo Free State as his personal colony, where his regime used extreme brutality and forced labor to extract rubber, leading to the deaths of millions.

2. The "Scramble for Africa": The period of rapid colonization of the African continent by European powers between 1881 and 1914, driven by economic interests, national rivalries, and ideologies of racial superiority.

3. Tupac Amaru II: A descendant of the last Inca ruler who led a large-scale rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in Peru in the 1780s, representing a major indigenous challenge to imperial authority.

4. The Zulu Kingdom: A powerful South African state that successfully resisted European encroachment for decades under leaders like Shaka, demonstrating a potent form of organized indigenous opposition to state expansion.

5. Opium Wars: Two conflicts between Britain and Qing China over the British trade of opium. China's defeat resulted in treaties that opened it to foreign influence and trade, highlighting the shift in the global balance of power.

6. Indentured Servitude: A labor system where individuals were bound by contract to work for a particular employer for a fixed period, often in a different country. It was a common form of migration for South Asian and Chinese laborers.

7. The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): A United States federal law that prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers, reflecting the racial and economic anxieties that often accompanied mass migration.

8. The United Fruit Company: An American corporation that traded in tropical fruit grown on Latin American plantations. It became a prime example of economic imperialism, wielding immense political and economic power over Central American nations.

Topic Navigator

Exam Skills Focus

• Causation: Industrialization created a demand for raw materials and markets, which directly caused the "New Imperialism" of the 19th century.

• Comparison: Compare methods of state expansion, such as direct colonial rule in Africa versus economic imperialism in Latin America.

• CCOT: From 1750 to 1900, while European maritime empires continued to exist, their nature changed from trading-post empires to vast territorial conquests driven by industrial needs.

Common Misconceptions & Clarifications

• Misconception: Imperialism was a one-way street of European domination. → Clarification: Colonized peoples actively resisted through military conflict (the Zulu Kingdom), spiritual movements (the Ghost Dance), and the creation of new states.

• Misconception: All migration during this era was voluntary. → Clarification: While many migrated for economic opportunity, systems of coerced and semi-coerced labor, such as indentured servitude and convict labor, were widespread.

• Misconception: Imperialism always meant direct political control. → Clarification: Economic imperialism allowed powerful states to exert control over regions like Latin America and China through finance, trade, and business without establishing formal colonies.

One-Paragraph Summary

The consequences of industrialization in the period from 1750 to 1900 were global and transformative. Driven by a need for raw materials and new markets, industrial powers justified imperial expansion through ideologies like Social Darwinism and a "civilizing mission." This "New Imperialism" resulted in the colonization of Africa and parts of Asia, the establishment of settler colonies, and the rise of economic imperialism in regions like Latin America. The creation of a truly global economy spurred unprecedented migration, both voluntary and coerced, leading to new social structures and cultural exchanges. In response, indigenous peoples across the world mounted various forms of resistance, from direct rebellion to spiritual movements, challenging imperial dominance and shaping the future of their societies.