Industrialization and imperialism | World History | Khan Academy

Summary

The video explains how the Industrial Revolution helped drive the expansion of imperialism during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Before Industrialization

In the early to mid-1700s, European powers held colonies in the Americas and some coastal or trading territories in Africa and Asia. Much of Africa and Asia, however, remained outside European control.

Industrial Change

Steam power—and later technologies such as electricity—made factories more productive. Steamships and railroads sped up the movement of goods and people, while the telegraph made rapid, long-distance communication possible.

A Changed World Map

By around 1900, most former European colonies in the Americas had become independent, but European powers had taken control of large parts of Africa and Asia. Britain’s foothold in India had expanded into rule by the British Crown. Japan, one of the first Asian countries to industrialize, had also acquired territory in Korea and Taiwan.

Motives and Incentives for Empire

Conquest could bring land, taxable wealth, economic output, and people who could be taxed or recruited as soldiers. These resources could help an empire gain still more power.

Industrialization and capitalism strengthened the drive for expansion. Factory owners and investors sought better returns on capital, encouraging investment in technology and more productive industry. In turn, higher productivity and profits supplied more resources for further investment.

Industrial production increased demand for raw materials, while manufacturers wanted larger markets for finished goods. Countries with limited resources or consumers at home looked abroad. European powers sometimes used military force to secure access to resources or compel trade.

Technology Enabled Control

The technologies that supported industrial growth also made distant empire easier to manage. Steamships and railroads helped move goods and project military power, while the telegraph enabled rapid communication and coordination across great distances.

Overall Argument

Industrialization and capitalism supplied both the economic motivation for imperialism—resources, markets, and profits—and the technological means to enforce it. The video links these forces to colonization and the expansion of trade, including trade imposed by force.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: One narrator, presenting the lesson in the style of Khan Academy.
• Sources featured: Maps and historical illustrations are referenced in the narration; no other speakers or named sources are identified.