Unit 5—Unit 5 Overview—Quiz

Which of the following describes an unequal relationship between rulers and subjects?

• Empire

• Democracy

• Sovereignty

• Capitalism

Answer explanation

That’s right! Empires consist of a foreign ruler or ruling class that holds power and local people that are being ruled and often deprived of political and economic freedoms.

Why did the beginning of this era appear to be the end of empires, not the beginning of larger ones?

• Wars within Europe weakened home countries.

• Political revolutions formed new nation-states.

• The British empire temporarily collapsed.

• New ideas of sovereignty rose in popularity.

Answer explanation

That’s correct. Revolutions in the United States, Latin America, and Haiti shrunk the size of several empires and pointed to a new era of sovereignty – though as we know, that wasn’t actually the case.

How did the Industrial Revolution help with empire building in the late nineteenth century?

• Empires contained many of the raw materials and new markets that spurred industrialization.

• New navigational tools made the discovery of new lands and countries easier.

• Newly industrialized countries sought places to set up new industrial factories.

• Technological advantages made it easier to exploit non-industrial countries.

Answer explanation

Certainly! New networks of communication and production and distribution even allowed empires to stretch over much longer distances.

How did empires impact the people living in colonies?

• New foreigners joined old, local systems and changed them from the inside.

• They impacted them little as economic and political systems remained the same just with foreigners ruling them.

• Empires brought in the first forms of governance and economic structure to their colonies.

• Old, local systems were replaced by new foreign ones that disregarded the needs of those in the colonies.

Answer explanation

Right! Systems of governance and economics existed long before empires and long after. However, many empires brought in their own ideas and systems, often to the detriment of those living in the colonies.

What two crucial things did colonies provide to industrialized countries?

• Markets and raw materials

• Coal and access to sea routes

• Technology and markets for manufactured goods

• Labor and new innovations

Answer explanation

That’s right. Industrialization relied on a constant source of raw materials and a constant demand for industrial goods, neither of which could be found in imperial countries at the scale they demanded.

What was the main difference between citizens in European countries and subjects in colonies?

• Wealth

• Political power

• Religion

• Occupation

Answer explanation

While citizens in these “democratic” countries generally had some claims to personal sovereignty, subjects in the colonies were rarely given any say in the governments that ruled them.

Which of the following best describes colonial subjects’ response to unfair treatment under colonial rule?

• They negotiated with their colonizers for better treatment, more political freedoms, and greater economic investment.

• They assimilated into European society, attempting to gain rights through imitation of European culture.

• They led massive, constant resistance in the form of peaceful sit-ins, violent attacks, and mass rebellions.

• They responded in many different ways from attempts at negotiations to hidden forms of active resistance.

Answer explanation

That’s right. Resistance took many forms in many different places during this era from grand rebellions to underground organizations.

While formal empires are gone, many argue that traces of imperialism still exist. What is one example of the lasting impacts of imperialism today?

• Trade agreements between previous colonies and homelands are abundant.

• Nuclear weapons are only held by previous imperial countries.

• Only previously imperial countries are industrialized today.

• Former colonies are more likely to be impoverished today.

Answer explanation

Correct. Due to decades of resource extraction and labor exploitation, previous colonies are more likely to struggle with industrialization and economic growth today.

Subjects of European colonies often resisted imperial rule. What did resistance look like in these colonies? Choose the best answer.

• Both active resistance and subtle forms of resistance at many levels

• Hidden resistance like stealing from the colonial government

• Accommodation of and assimilation with colonizers

• Active resistance through military organizations and campaigns

Answer explanation

That’s right. Resistance included many different acts from stealing from the imperial government to launching large-scale revolts with organized militaries.

What is the main political difference between nation-states and empires?

• Nation-states rule through a centralized authority while empires are ruled in decentralized sections.

• Nation-states are ruled by decentralized localities while empires are ruled by a centralized government in an imperial homeland.

• Nation-states only give political power to those that could vote whereas empires extend rights to most of their subjects.

• Nation-states rule based on the idea of personal sovereignty while empires deny political freedom to their subjects.

Answer explanation

That’s right. This distinction is crucial in understanding why colonies sought independence during this unit and beyond.