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In the 19th century, guano—the excrement of seabirds and bats—was prized by American farmers as an effective natural fertilizer, full of nitrogen and phosphorous.
6.4 D. ENV
Explain how various environmental factors contributed to the development of the global economy from 1750 to 1900.
After diamonds were discovered in South Africa in the late 19th century, Cecil Rhodes formed De Beers Consolidated Mines. He used Black Africans, traditionally farmers, who didn't want to work in De Beers diamond mines, to grow his diamond company into the largest in the world. However, for the workers the mines were death traps with no regards to safety.
Historical Development
The need for raw materials for factories and increased food supplies for the growing population in urban centers led to the growth of export economies around the world that specialized in commercial extraction of natural resources and the production of food and industrial crops. The profits from these raw materials were used to purchase finished goods. Some examples of these resource export economies included cotton production in Egypt, rubber extraction in the Amazon and the Congo Basin, the palm oil trade in West Africa, the guano industries in Peru and Chile, meat from Argentina and Uruguay, and diamonds from Africa.
Key Words:
Key Words:
Guano
Rubber tree
Cecil Rhodes
Transatlantic Cable
Palm oil
DeBeers Mining Co.
monocultures
Skills:
Skills:
HIPP: Audience, Purpose, & Historical Situation
The Rise of Export Economies
The Rise of Export Economies
Industrial nations’ demand for raw materials & food for increasing populations in urban areas led to a growth in export economies in the non-industrialized regions of the world.
Important 19th-century Export Commodities
Important 19th-century Export Commodities
Export economies produced a variety of commodities for export to industrialized nations. Below are a few export commodities that had the most significant impacts during the 19th century.
Illegal Drugs as an Export Commodity
Due to the lack of interest of Chinese interest in European goods, Britain began running a trade deficit with China. By In order to reverse this trend, the British started exporting illegal drugs, opium in particular, from India & into China. The impacts were devastating to China, yet unbelievably rewarding for the British.
Bird Poop as an Export Commodity
In the early 1800s Europe & North America suffered from severe soil depletion which led to famines and economic crisis. The Imperialist, Europe & America, found a remedy in 'guano'--bird poop, which is extremely high in fixed nitrogen & phosphorus, necessary elements for the growth of plants. Guano was poop, but it had value like silver and the worlds largest supplies of guano are in Peru and islands dotting the Pacific Ocean. It were the islands that led America to the Guano Act of 1856, which gave America control of these islands. Furthermore, this act set a precedent for future American Imperialism in Cuba & Puerto Rico. In the 50 years after the Guano Islands act- U.S. claimed 100 guano islands. Most were exploited & abandoned.
Bird Poop as an Export Commodity
In the early 1800s Europe & North America suffered from severe soil depletion which led to famines and economic crisis. The Imperialist, Europe & America, found a remedy in 'guano'--bird poop, which is extremely high in fixed nitrogen & phosphorus, necessary elements for the growth of plants. Guano was poop, but it had value like silver and the worlds largest supplies of guano are in Peru and islands dotting the Pacific Ocean. It were the islands that led America to the Guano Act of 1856, which gave America control of these islands. Furthermore, this act set a precedent for future American Imperialism in Cuba & Puerto Rico. In the 50 years after the Guano Islands act- U.S. claimed 100 guano islands. Most were exploited & abandoned.
Guano Advertising: Guano was a major business, as this 19th century advertisement attests.
Guano Advertising: Guano was a major business, as this 19th century advertisement attests.
Diamonds as an Export Commodity
Rhodes was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land. He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled the global trade. Scholarships allowing overseas students to come to Oxford University still bear his name. Many institutions, including Cape Town University itself, benefited from his largesse. Both Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) were named after him.
Diamonds as an Export Commodity
Rhodes was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land. He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled the global trade. Scholarships allowing overseas students to come to Oxford University still bear his name. Many institutions, including Cape Town University itself, benefited from his largesse. Both Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) were named after him.
'The Rhodes Colossus'
'The Rhodes Colossus'
Satirical political cartoon featured in Punch Magazine, 1892. It alludes to the Scramble for Africa of the New Imperialism period. However, the image depicts British colonialist Cecil Rhodes as a giant standing over the continent holding a telegraphic line, a reference to his desire to build a "Cape to Cairo" rail and telegraph line and connect the most of the British colonies in Africa.
Map showing almost complete British control of the Cape to Cairo. In fact, Cecil Rhode's wanted to build a Cape to Cairo Railway crossing the continent from south to north. It was planned as a link between Cape Town, South Africa to Port Said in Egypt.
People to Know
People to Know
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