World Trade and Empires in Europe

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World Trade and Empires in Europe

The nineteenth century was an age of imperialism—an age in which European nations expended a great deal of energy and money expanding their empires. Their motives were threefold. First, they expected economic profits from their colonies, many of which were rich in the natural resources and raw materials— including human beings—necessary to keep the European factories going. Second, no nation wanted to grant supremacy to the others; as long as one nation was establishing overseas colonies, other nations would follow suit simply to maintain a balance of power. Third, Christian churches that had steadily been losing power and influence in Europe saw colonization of Africa and Asia as a splendid opportunity for missionary work. Fourth, the sense of racial superiority that characterized Europeans made them feel it was their responsibility to impose their culture on peoples they regarded as uncivilized or inferior.

The opening of the Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean and Red Seas and thus provided a much shorter and more efficient shipping route between Europe and Asia. It also provided a means of communication and troop transport.

Practice questions for these concepts can be found at:

World Trade and Empires in Europe Practice Test