superior technology and improved medical knowledge to foster imperialism. quinine enabled europeans
to survive tropical diseases and venture into the mosquito-infested interiors of africa and asia. the combination
of the steamboat and the telegraph enabled the western powers to increase their mobility and to quickly respond
to any situations that threatened their dominance. the rapid-fire machine gun also gave them a military advantage
and was in convincing africans and asians to accept western control. the following table summarizes the
causes of the new imperialism:
causes of new imperialism
economic military/political humanitarian/religious technological
need for markets need for military bases white man’s burden new medicine
raw materials national security spread of christianity new weapons
source of investments source of
pride—nationalism
social darwinism
(superiority of western
society)
transportation
i
