Europe's influence spread rapidly throughout the 19th century as it colonized Africa and Southeast Asia. Power and wealth were the driving forces in the search for raw materials to send back to European factories to produce manufactured goods. Through industrialization and the creation of strong nation-states, Europe was able to dominate the colonies and take whatever they needed – raw materials, crops, or cheap labor. Many European countries justified their actions by claiming that.....
they were preventing wars in the colonies by providing jobs and healthcare. they were bringing the benefits of their superior civilization to savages. they were preventing people in colonies from immigrating to European cities. the people in the colonies had the same rights and privileges as European citizens.
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