Theme 1: Industrialization Causes Imperialism

The single most important conceptual frame for this unit. The post-1870 wave of imperial conquest was not random. It was driven by industrial economies' demand for raw materials, markets, and investment outlets, made possible by industrial technology (steamships, machine guns, quinine, telegraphs), and justified by ideologies (Social Darwinism, civilizing mission) that arose alongside industrial society. Maria should be able to make this connection fluently in any essay on imperialism.