Western colonialism - French Empire, Imperialism, Colonization

Western colonialism

Table of Contents

Introduction
European expansion before 1763
- Antecedents of European expansion
  - Early European trade with Asia
  - Technological improvements
- The first European empires (16th century)
  - Portugal’s seaborne empire
  - Spain’s American empire
    - The conquests
    - Spanish colonial policies
  - Effects of the discoveries and empires
    - Europe’s shift to the Atlantic
    - Changes in Europe
- Colonies from northern Europe and mercantilism (17th century)
  - The Dutch
    - Eastern pursuits
    - Western pursuits
  - The French
    - Early settlements in the New World
    - Activities in India
    - Colonization of New France
  - The English
    - English ascendancy in India
    - England’s American colonies
  - Mercantilism
    - The Spanish fleet system
    - French mercantilist activities
    - The English navigation acts
- The old colonial system and the competition for empire (18th century)
  - Slave trade
  - Colonial wars of the first half of the 18th century
    - King William’s War (War of the League of Augsburg)
    - Queen Anne’s War (War of the Spanish Succession)
    - King George’s War (War of the Austrian Succession)
  - The French and Indian War (the Seven Years’ War)
European expansion since 1763
- European colonial activity (1763–c. 1875)
  - The second British Empire
    - Loss of the American colonies
    - Conquest of India
    - Global expansion
    - Policy changes
    - Involvement in Africa
    - The growth of informal empire
    - Anticolonial sentiment
  - Decline of colonial rivalry
  - Decline of the Spanish and Portuguese empires
  - The emigration of European peoples
  - Advance of the U.S. frontier
- The new imperialism (c. 1875–1914)
  - Reemergence of colonial rivalries
    - New acquisitions
    - New colonial powers
    - Rise of new industrialized nations
    - A world economy
    - New militarism
  - Historiographical debate
    - Economic imperialism
    - Noneconomic imperialism
    - Quest for a general theory of imperialism
- Penetration of the West in Asia and Africa
  - Russia’s eastward expansion
  - The partitioning of China
    - The Opium Wars
    - Foreign privileges in China
    - The Open Door Policy
  - Japan’s rise as a colonial power
  - Partition of Africa
    - The Europeans in North Africa
    - The race for colonies in sub-Saharan Africa
- World War I and the interwar period (1914–39)
  - Postwar redistribution of colonies
  - The British Empire
    - Middle East
    - India
    - Africa
  - Overseas France
  - Axis Powers
  - The United States and the Soviet Union
- World War II (1939–45)
  - Asia
  - Middle East
  - Africa
- Decolonization from 1945
  - British decolonization, 1945–56
  - Wars in overseas France, 1945–56
  - The Sinai-Suez campaign (October–November 1956)
  - Algeria and French decolonization, from 1956
  - British decolonization after 1956
  - Dutch, Belgian, and Portuguese decolonization
  - Conclusion

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Colonial exploration routes within the United States

English colonies in 17th-century North America

Spanish viceroyalties and Portuguese territories in the Americas, 1780

India: reorganization of states and union territories since independence

How did Spain become a colonial power in America?

For Students

Western colonialism summary

Read Next

"Landing of Columbus" by John Vanderlyn, oil on canvas; commissioned 1836/1837, placed 1847. In the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. 12' x 18' ft. (3.66 m. x 5.49 m.) Christopher Columbus and members of his crew are shown on a beach

5 Unbelievable Facts About Christopher Columbus

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Christopher Columbus kneeling, holding flag and sword with two other men holding flags. There are other men on land and in boats behind Columbus and three ships in background. On the island named San Salvador by Columbus, later called Watling Island.

Columbus Day

The Wedding of Victoria I, Queen of England and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in London, England. Vintage etching circa mid 19th century. The wedding was on February 10th, 1840.

Why Have So Many World Leaders Married Their Cousins?

Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World, 1492. Columbus presents gifts to the first natives to greet him on his landing in America. Columbus set out to discover a westward route to Asia. (Native Americans, colonization of the Americas)

Columbus Day and Its Discontents

Discover

After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.

7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space

How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Vietnam War. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer, during a visit to military personnel, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, October 26, 1966. President Johnson

Vietnam War Timeline

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

France probably could have become the leading European colonial power in the 17th and 18th centuries. It had the largest population and wealth, the best army while Louis XIV ruled, and, for a time in his reign, the strongest navy. But France pursued a spasmodic overseas policy because of an intense preoccupation with European affairs; England, France’s ultimately successful rival, was freer of such entanglements. Verrazano reconnoitered the North American coast for France in 1524, and in the next decade Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River; his plans to establish a colony, however, came to nothing. During most of ...(100 of 29631 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.