Suez Canal:

The Suez Canal has played a very important role in transportation, the shipment of goods and trade. The management of the Canal today is fully Egyptian. It is operated completely by the SCA, the Suez Canal Authority. It is still widely used for transportation of goods and services. It is the first canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It is the shorted link between the east and the west, making it a very important water route. It is especially important to Egypt as well as the rest of the world. 80% of the world's trade is done by waterways, making this canal essential. It is the fastest, most efficient route. It is open for use day and night, and is in use extensively.

Summary

3 Things I learned:

·           Japan benefitted itself from its colonial empire.

·         Causes of Imperialism

·         The ways these colonies were managed

2 Things I found to be interested:

·         Western penetration of Egypt

·         Imperialism in Japan

1 Question I Have:

·         How could British fail in its motives in Japan.

REVOLUTION IN EGYPT

What caused the revolution in Egypt?

Demographics, technology, foreign policy, legitimacy of the state, torture, corruption and other factors all played a part in bringing discontented Egyptians out on the streets.

An explosive mix of high population growth, leading to a "youth bulge", combined with urbanization, jobless growth partly linked to structural adjustment, and the rapid expansion of university education produced youth with no future. Egypt’s foreign policy has also been an important factor – divorced from public opinion for many years, particularly on Israel and Palestine. The erosion of legitimacy went much deeper than foreign policy. An increasingly sclerotic state plus an ageing president have produced a threefold institutional deficit summarized "institutions that influence the work of the bureaucracy, institutions that shape politicians' behavior by punishing or rewarding certain types of behavior, influencing the accountability and transparency of politicians and institutions that widen political space and participation for Egyptian citizens". At a more visceral level, the routine and growing presence of torture and corruption became the common enemy that bound protesters together across classes.

What All Happened?

·         Civil disobedience à people refused to follow the laws and abide the government.

·         Civil resistance à People resisted the brutal security forces which were sent by the leader to crush the rebellious masses.

·         Demonstrations à people were seen demonstrating against Mubarak either violently or peacefully

·         Riots & Strike Actions à People cause damage to public property. There were riots erupting among small and bigger sections of people in society.

·         Self-immolation à people were seen committing suicides for the sake of their nation.

·         Online activism à many active bloggers updated people with the situation and criticized the government.

TWO US EVENTS

Louisiana Purchase

 An important US event during Europe's New Imperialism was the Louisiana Purchase. This event is significant it both French and US history. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the region to the US on April 30, 1803 for $15 million. Thomas Jefferson was President at the time and although such a treaty and purchase was a possible violation of the Constitution, Jefferson and Congress simply could not pass the opportunity by. The purchase doubled the US in size, giving it open land for settlement and free navigation of the Mississippi River

Cuba:

In the 1850s, American expansionists looked south of America's borders for new territory to acquire. Mostly Southerners, they targeted Cuba, a slave-holding Caribbean island held by Spain located ninety miles from the Florida coast. In 1854, President Franklin Pierce instructed his minister to Spain, Pierre Soule, to try to buy Cuba from Spain. But Soule was a poor diplomat and outraged Spain by issuing threats. Afterwards, Pierce organized a conference in Ostend, Belgium, led by future president James Buchanan. Buchanan and pro-slavery diplomats produced the Ostend Manifesto, which suggested the United States seize Cuba by force if Spain refused to sell it. When the manifesto became public, a national debate began over the South's efforts to extend slavery. The controversy led one of the manifesto's authors to repudiate it, and the U.S. government formally ended its pursuit of Cuba. Too many voices were raised over the wisdom of annexing a territory with so many inhabitants who were neither white nor Protestant. While the United States failed to take Cuba, it did acquire a series of sparsely populated or uninhabited islands in the Caribbean and North Pacific in the 1850s. These possessions included Navassa Island, a tiny Caribbean island used for guano mining, and Baker Island, and the Johnston Atoll in Oceania. They were annexed through presidential proclamation.

Connection across Continents:

These expansions in the territory can be connected with the expansion of British Empire throughout the Asian and African world. The British East India Company started the expansion with Government of Britain and Crown taking over. It is said that ‘Sun never sets on British Empire’ which shows how big the British Empire was. Like these British taking over other countries peacefully or forcibly these territories annexed by USA were taken peacefully or forcibly.

Sepoy Mutiny:                               

The Sepoy Mutiny started in 1857 and occurred in northern states of India. The biggest effect was seen in the cities if Merut and Lucknow. For about a year Indians rebelled against the East India Company. British men, women and children were killed, the army took horrible revenge.  This Mutiny is regarded as the first fight or struggle for Indian Independence.

One of the things that sparked off the Indian Sepoy Mutiny was the introduction of the new Enfield paper cartridge. The end of the cartridge had to be bitten off prior to its loading. The cartridges were allegedly greased with animal fat and hence were regarded by Muslims as unclean and Hindus as sacred. So they refused to use the riffles that required the use those cartridges. Mangal Pandey was the hero who started the Mutiny and the first hero of the struggle for Independence.

After the Mutiny an Act of Parliament took away the East India Company's territories and their soldiers and gave them to the Crown. A council was established with a principal Secretary of State and this took over full government. The title of Viceroy of India was used for the first time.

Imperialist Unites States of America:

I totally believe that the United States of America is seen of the Imperialist nations today much like past. The involvement of the US in the Middle East Asia is the biggest example. According to the United States this involvement is due to United States efforts to prevent communism and dictatorship from spreading and help spreading democracy all over the world. With perspective from a person outside the United States, I think the involvement of the USA in Middle East Asia is due to three letter world OIL, which now days is deriving the world economy. People around the world including me think that USA’s involvement in other countries is only for raw materials like crude much like British in late 19^th century and early 20^th century was expanding their power for raw materials.

PRO’s:

·         The United States is the major deciding factor for the price of crude oil

·         The United States of America = Super power of world has nothing to do other than putting its legs in other countries matter.

·         Millions die in because of US involvement.

Cons:

       ·         US involvement for keeping communism from spreading.

·         US desire to make world a better place.

·         The US acts out of a sense of duty towards liberty and justice by bringing democracy to other regions of the world.

Political Cartoons:

Cartoonist Leslie Illingworth's                              Cartoon: Free India, May 20, 1947

Author’s Description: Gandhi, and a group of protesters, including a US sympathizer, are holding placards demanding that the British get out of India. All around them are the bodies of those who have died of hunger or civil war

Personal Opinion: This Political cartoon shows the opinion of Winston Churchill on freedom of India. The author might have created this cartoon just to show the opinion of Winston Churchill as it looks like the Opinion of Churchill was based on current happenings in India. This cartoon was created at the time when Churchill was the leader of opposition in 1947. Churchill being in the opposition leader one could understand why he would like India to be freed. Also we can see what Gandhi actually did for Indian Independence. He just demanded Swaraj or ‘Independence’. He never demanded for total independence, he just demanded the Indians under British Colony ruling India freely, until violent youth started the demand of Poorna Swaraj or total Independence. All he did throughout the struggle for Indian independence is make homemade cotton cloth like in this picture is not seen raising any slogan except continuing his demand for Swaraj even after looking at the situation around him where dead bodies are lying here with Vultures feeding on them and there with British officials mistreating Indian lady on the back. It can give the reader a view of Independence struggle by Gandhi and his followers which was only to raise slogans.

Cartoonist Leslie Illingworth's                              Cartoon: New Indian policy, March 31, 1942

Authors Description: Three hunters, riding on elephants marked "Congress", "Moslems" and "Princes" are hunting a tiger marked "Indian disunity". Sir Stafford Cripps is waving a flag marked "New Indian policy", and is shouting "Now's your chance".

Personnel Opinion: This cartoon shows how Indian disunity played a great role in India becoming a colony of Britain and partition of India. This cartoon was created five years prior to Indian Independence when Britain declared India will get complete independence after World War II was over. This cartoon not only shows us the reason for Indian partition but also reason for India becoming colony of Britain. As Independence was approaching British officials declared that current Indian Princes and Muslim league can have separate nations if they want and Indian National Congress will get separate nation. India was not united even at the times of Independence. We see that three Indian groups hunting the national animal Tiger on three separate elephants and British official waving Flag that New British Policy written on it and shouting Now’s Your Chance. The words Now’s Your Chance can signify that British took over India because of disunity of Indians and now it is the good chance for Muslim League, Princes and INC to get benefits from this disunity. As the Independence Day came closer INC and Princes joined hand to form one nation India and Pakistan was formed under the leadership of Muslim league.

 

US Imperialism Cartoon:

Cartoon: The White(?) Mans Burden

This Political cartoon is very important in depicting imperialism by the Unites States of America. It shows Uncle Sam is being carried on the back of a dark skinned native; the cartoon makes us ask, who is bearing the real burden? In this cartoon, rather than accepting a burden of responsibility, these symbols of civilization are placing a burden on the “less civilized” peoples of the world. The true “White Man’s Burden” is exploitation, not selfless laboring on behalf of the less fortunate which can be seen not only in this case and the US but by many Colonial Empires in many parts or world.

Chapter 25: The West and the World.

While industrialization and nationalism were transforming urban and agricultural life throughout the Europe, Western society itself was reshaping the world. The late 19^th and early 20^th century witnessed the widespread of European empires abroad especially in the Asian and African world. This chapter talks about the causes of and results of expansion by western powers. Not only we see the causes for the expansion but also we will notice how God Glory and Gold will come into play in this chapter. Western world thought it was their soul duty assigned to them by almighty God to improve the lives of people in underdeveloped countries. Not everyone agreed to the Western expansion, in this chapter we will see many uprising s and revolts against the colonial powers. The term for European power’s far-flung expansion is known as new imperialism.

 Objective: To better understand the chapter and examine some of the happenings during expansion.

Essential Question:

Explain why was India considered as the ‘Jewel of Crown’?

India was the most important British Colony and most favorite one. India is a rich country with loads of raw materials and spices. Indian spices and tea leaves are famous in the whole world. British took benefit from these raw material and spices to make good profits. Raw cotton, indigo and jute were exported to Britain to create finished products and sell them throughout the world. British made huge profit from the tea leaves which are natural to resources to India. British saw India not only as a supplier for raw material but also as a market for finished products. British technological advances allowed them to produce finished products at much cheaper rate compared to Indian handloom and handicraft industry. British mass produced finished products were lot cheaper than other handmade products in India so people bought British goods letting British make huge profits and letting handicraft industry to vanish. British bought the handmade products for cheaper rates as there were very few buyers left and took them to Britain eventually selling them for huge profits. India benefitted Britain during both world wars by supplying millions of soldiers to fight on the fronts and provide the goods and services needed to by the British army to fight the world wars. All these factors and many other factors made India the favorite colony of British Empire and was known as Jewel of the Crown.