Imperialism Timeline

By bwu1
  • European trade with Africa becomes well established

    IN 1850, Europeans who stayed mainly on the coast of Africa, established a good trade system with the Africans. This worked well for both cultures until the Scramble for Africa began.
  • East India Company collapses due to Sepoy Rebellion; British Raj begins

    The Sepoy Rebellion, or when the native Indians in the British Indian Army rebelled, overthrew New Delhi, This action scared the British and made them establish the Raj. The Raj was a form of inderect control over India, where an Indian held the seat of power, but the British influenced ever decision the leader made.
  • Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and Red Seas

    The Suez Canal, the passage that linked the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea was originally built by the French, but then later purchased by the British.
  • Berlin Conference convenes to discuss terms for African colonization

    In 1884, the Berlin Conference began. The conference finally decided that as long as the country took a colony that they could easily control and clearly state the borders, the colony was free for the country to take
  • Queen Liliuokalani takes the throne of Hawaii

    In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani took the throne of Hawaii. One of the first acts that she did as Queen was to create a constitution that increased her power at the expense of the local plantation owners. As a result, she was quickly overthrown.
  • Ethiopians defeat the invading Italians at the Battle of Adwa

    Menelik II, the leader of Ethiopia at the time of the scramble was a man who kept Ethiopia independent. He successfully pitted the French, Italians, and British against each other, while at the same time stockpiling modern weapons. When the Itailians attacked, Menelik was prepared and defeated them in battle, keeping Ethiopia free
  • Spanish-American War breaks out; Puerto Rico, Spain, and the Philippines taken from Spain

    in 1898, the Spanish-American War began. The Americans eventually won the war and took three territories from Spain. These territorries were Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
  • Boer War in South Africa

    In 1899, the Boers, to defend their homeland, waged war against the British. They used guerrilla warfare and were defeating the British until they began to put the women and children into concentration csamps.
  • Most of Africa is under European control

    In 1914, colonialism in Africa reached its peak. The only free African states were Ethiopia and Liberia. However, Liberia was under the sphere of influence of the United States. The most controlling of the Europeans were the British, who were obsessed with building their Cape to Cairo railroad.