Industrial Revolution & Imperialism

E. D. Morel

(1873-1924) English journalist who helped expose the cruelties done the people of the Congo under King Leopold II.

Political stability

- A condition where a country's government is secure and not subject to sudden change, ensuring a favorable environment for business operations - Britain had a stable government that supported individual political freedom, property rights, adn equality of opportunity

Steam Engines

- A heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid - key to the IR

Raw materials

- Basic materials used in the production of goods, such as coal, wool, and cotton in the context of textile manufacturing - Britain had plentiful supplies of the raw materials needed in industry, such as coal for fuel or wool for textiles - Coal, wool, cotton

High Wages

- Britain had the highest wages in the world

Middle class (bourgeoisie)

A social class between the upper and working classes, typically consisting of professionals, business owners, and managers.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent.

Terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

What were the impacts of Congo for Belgium?

Belgium gained wealth

Henry Morton Stanley

British-American explorer of Africa, famous for his expeditions in search of Dr. David Livingstone. He helped King Leopold II establish the Congo Free State

Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals

Labor

Human effort directed toward producing goods and services

Treaties

formal agreements between nations

Ivory

hard white material made from elephant tusks

Journalists

individuals who are trained to report nonfiction events to an audience

Markets for Goods

industrial revolution leads to new products

Transportation Systems

navigable rivers, roads, canals, railroads

Missionaries

people who work to spread their religious beliefs

Factory System

system bringing manufacturing steps together in one place to increase efficiency

Force Publique

the armed force in the Congo under Leopold II's rule; made up of white Belgian officers and African soldiers with the goal of terrorizing local people to establish control

Steam Ship

a ship that is propelled by a steam engine.

Rubber

a tough elastic polymeric substance made from the latex of a tropical plant or synthetically.

Bessemer Process for Steel

-During the Industrial Revolution, an inventor named Henry Bessemer created a cheap and fast way to make steel from iron - people began using steel to build factories, railroads, and buildings t

Sphere of Influence

A foreign region in which a nation has control over trade and other economic activities.

Working class (proletariat)

Individuals who perform manual labor, often in factories, and earn wages for their work.

Belgium

King Leopold II of this country acquired the massive territory of the Congo as his own private possession, which became one of the most brutal episodes of African colonial history and has left violent legacy in places like Congo and Rwanda today.

King Leopold II

King of Belgium (r. 1865-1909). He was active in encouraging the exploration of Central Africa and became the infamous ruler of the Congo Free State (to 1908).

Business Aristocracy

Leaders of the new Industrial Revolution who were fast replacing nobles as the most powerful and influential people in a society

Mechanical Reaper

Machine invented by Cyrus McCormick that could harvest wheat quickly

Railroads

Networks of iron (later steel) rails on which steam (later electric or diesel) locomotives pulled long trains at high speeds. The first were built in England in the 1830s. Success caused the construction of these to boom lasting into the 20th Century

Unions

Organizations formed by workers to protect their rights and interests through collective bargaining with employers.

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle

Child labor

The employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, education, and potential.

Textiles

The first industry to be industrialized in the 18th century.

Informal Empire

The growing presence of Europeans in Africa during the first decades of the nineteenth century

Urbanization

The process of population concentration in urban areas, leading to the growth of cities and towns.

Racial Superiority

a belief that a particular ethnic group is entitled to control or rule those who are not of that ethnic group

Hegemony

domination over others

Formal Empire

establish direct political and/or military control over those they rule