Unit 5: Key Terms in European Imperialism and Resistance

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Imperialism

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A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

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Social Darwinism

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The debunked theory that people are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals, often used to justify political conservatism, imperialism, and racism by white people.

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The White Man's Burden

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A phrase used to justify European imperialism in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; it implies that imperialism was motivated by a high-minded desire to uplift people of color.

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Berlin Conference

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A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules for the colonization of Africa - how they would divide it up.

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Scramble for Africa

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The invasion, occupation, division, and colonization of African territory by European powers during a period known as New Imperialism (between 1881 and 1914).

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Congo Free State

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A large area in Central Africa that was privately controlled by Leopold II of Belgium; his rule was characterized by atrocities against the local population.

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Maji Maji Uprising

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A violent resistance to colonial rule in German East Africa (modern-day Tanzania) during 1905-1907.

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Menelik II

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Emperor of Ethiopia who successfully resisted European colonization and maintained Ethiopian independence by defeating the Italians at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.

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Crown Jewel of the Empire

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A term used to describe India as the most valuable of all British colonies.

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British East India Company

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An English company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated by royal charter on December 31, 1600.