Chapter Objective
8. Describe how increased migration patterns caused by imperialism changed societies.
Economic Changes in India
- Colonial rule in India urged cotton cultivators to produce cotton for export rather than internal consumption. Then, the exported cotton was processed in Europe and imported back to India.
- This weakened the Indian cotton industry since the processed cotton sold at a cheaper price.
- As a result, India went from the world's largest cotton manufacturer to a large consumer of British textiles.
- It also increased India's dependency on Britain, since common people could not afford handcrafted clothes made in India.
Social Changes in Ceylon and India
- The introduction of tea from China to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India altered the social order these societies.
- In Ceylon, the British cut down trees and converted rain forests into tea plantations. Because they could not use slave labor, they forced women to harvest the tea.
- Tea consumption was minimal in India/Ceylon, but was a popular British drink. The increased production of tea from India and Ceylon allowed tea to be available to all social classes in Europe.
Social Changes in Malaya and Sumatra
- The British colonizers planted rubber tree plantations in Malaya and Sumatra.
- These societies also underwent similar transformation as Ceylon and India.
- In the long run, this was beneficial to the British since the high demand of rubber products could be met.
Labor Migrations
- Colonial powers seeking to exploit the natural resources did not have access to slave labor.
- As a result, they encouraged migration to colonies, promising wealth and a better life.
Migration of Europeans
- European migration in the 19th century mostly came from the poorer regions of southern and eastern Europe. Some also came from northwestern Europe.
- Most of the European migrants migrated to the United States, where they cultivated cheap land for money. After the 1860s, a small amount also went to work in the factories in the northeast part of the U.S.
- The rest of the European migrants went to various locations in Canada, South America, Australia/New Zealand, and South Africa where they became cultivators, herders, and skilled laborers.
- European migration followed a pattern: almost all migrants went to temperate regions already colonized by European powers.
Indentured Labor from Asia, Africa, and Pacific Islands
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Explanation for Migration
- Large scale European migrations were only possible because of the already-established British colonies throughout the world.
- Indentured laborer migration was possible because colonial officers were able to send laborers to plantations and mines that were already established.
- 19th century migration allowed the intermixing of ethnic identities throughout the world.