Global Economic Development
Peruvian guano [bird droppings] has become so desirable an article to the agricultural interest of the United States that it is the duty of the Government to employ all the means properly in its power for the purpose of causing that
article to be imported into the country at a reasonable price.
—U.S. President Millard Fillmore, December 2, 1850
Learning Objectives
- D: Explain how various environmental factors contributed to the development of the global economy from 1750 to 1900.
Economics was among the most influential of the several motives driving
imperialism. Britain industrialized rapidly during the 1700s and 1800s. In order to feed industries’ desires for raw materials, such as cotton, copper, and rubber, Europe looked to Asia and Africa. American agriculture, as noted by President Fillmore, looked to South America for fertilizer. The people of these continents were also potential consumers of European and American manufactured goods. Finally, colonial peoples provided the labor for large-scale projects, such as building railroads or telegraph lines. Colonial workers were paid meager wages for difficult and dangerous labor. In short, natural resources, new markets, and low-wage labor drove economic imperialism.
Think As a Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: EXPLAIN PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE Of SOURCES
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Reflect
REFLECT ON THE TOPIC ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. In one to three paragraphs, explain how environmental factors contributed to the global economy between 1750 and 1900.
AP Exam Practice
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