The Imperial Inquirer

19TH CENTURY NEWS FLASH:

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS HAS ARRIVED

The following countries have announced openings in their press bureaus for independent press reporting on recent and ongoing revolutionary activities. Journalists who support the imperial expansion or individuals who support resistance movements are welcome to apply. Creativity and historical accuracy are essential qualifications. Ability to write in foreign languages not required. Details of job responsibilities follow placement opportunities.

Britain

United States

France

Belgium

Germany

Italy

Spain

Japan

OBJECTIVE: Create a newspaper that provides information on imperialism from the perspective of the colonizers and the colonized in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Steps:

  1. In your assigned group, first make the following decisions:
  • Date and year of edition (most will be around 1900 but note that time travel is permitted if you want to do flashbacks or predictions)
  • Type of newspaper (who is your audience- Africans, British, Indians, French, etc.)
  • Overall perspective (favor/disfavor/neutral towards imperialism) Are you going to give the opinions of the colonizers or the colonized or both?
  1. Now, fairly decide who will do which of the required articles below. Each person needs to choose TWO. (each person must do at least one of the ones with a *)
  • **Banner story - lead story -focus on a particular imperial event that occurred on or near date of this edition

Allowable Topics:

-Infrastructure created in Imperial Holdings (Railroads – Shipping routes – Major mining operations – agricultural estates (plantations) – etc.)

-Trade success or failure (Major trade Items- profits – losses – trade barriers – trade imbalances, commodities prices)

-Wars or rebellions within the Imperial Empire

-Social Tensions within the Imperial Empire (Social inequalities – social advantages for Europeans, ethnic groups, genders, etc.)

-Government structure in the Empire (Corruption – Honesty – Major Figures, etc.)

  • **Editorial(A personal opinion article covering the overall state of affairs – ex. Political, economic, social, cultural, etc. - in your colonial empire, pro or con)
  • **Background article- This article must outline the history of the building up of your empire, it must include the methods used to conquer, the regions subjugated, the government structure put in place, and the resources provided by the subjugated regions)
  • Two minor stories: News analysis on imperialism case studies within your empire
  • **International news analysis (a story on another empire)
  • Biographical article - political figure
  • Feature Story on Democratic reform/ activism or on Resistance or reform.
  1. Now each person needs to choose the topics they want to write on for their kind of story.
  1. Each person will then work individually on his/ her stories. Stories should be typed and saved (or emailed) at home/ school. Print out a copy of your story using 12 point font and 3” columns. Each article is required to have 2 pictures (One will be a map of your empire or the specific region of your empire where the events occurred – One will be a picture relating to the topic you have covered)
  1. On Assembly Day 1 everyone should have their THREE items with them, ready to paste in.
  1. The group will collectively lay out the paper. You will then develop ten test questions based on your newspaper. These questions must be answerable based on your newspaper.

Required elements for each person:

  1. A news article relating to your individual topic (approx. 300 words- 3” columns). Article should be turned in typed, possibly on disk. (20 pts.)

Headline (Banner) article - lead story

Editorial

Background article - present background to events being featured

International news analysis

  1. A second article (15 points)- either a feature, a biographical article, or a minor news story.
  1. Two visuals (10 points) (map, cartoon, photos, drawings etc.) One must go with your main article. Note that original artwork (sketches, cartoons etc.) will count extra.
  1. One CHOICE item: original political cartoon, an advertisement appropriate to the time, famous quotes from someone during the time, puzzle, horoscope that relates to the time and place, Economic report, recipes from the time/place, book review (Things Fall Apart for ex.), poetry… (Others by approval) (10 points)

All stories must:

  • Include a headline and a byline.
  • Be at least 300 words long.
  • At least two quotes that are based on primary sources. .
  • Have a graphic (map, picture, chart) accompanying it.

Name: ______Block: ______

Evaluation

There will be an individual and a group grade for this project:

Each individual in the group is responsible for a minimum of three items. This will determine the individual component of the grade

The group grade is based on overall content and form- evident proofreading, appealing layout, no redundancy in information, no gaps (literal or figurative), and news quality. There will be time in class to assemble the paper.

There will be a checklist that all members will sign establishing what was done by each person.

RUBRIC

Individual Grade

Main Article typed /20

Second article /15

Two visuals /10

One CHOICE item/10

Total/55

Group Grade

Overall Form/15

Proofreading

Appealing Layout

Overall Content/20

All terms on list addressed in paper accurately

No redundancy in information

Overall quality of information.

Equitable distribution of labor/10

Total/45

Total Project ___/100 pts

SPECIFIC TOPIC DIRECTIONS

Be sure that all of the following topics within your empire get mentioned in your newspaper. (for example, your group might choose seven of the topics and write a story on each and then mention any other terms within any of the articles.) You can write them from the perspective of the colonizer or the colonized. You can get started with research for most of your articles in your book, but then go to the Internet and other classroom textbooks. Some articles will need to be “background” or “anniversary” pieces since they happen much earlier in the century (they are in bold…)

British Empire

India (Sepoy Rebellion)

British East India Company

Australia- penal colony and settlement

Nationalism in India and China

Rammohun Roy

Indian National Congress

Canadian independence

Cecil Rhodes in Africa

Resistance to imperialism including Siam

Hong Kong and extra-territoriality

Opium Wars and the Treaties of Nanjing

Middle East- colonies following fall of Ottomans

Boer War – South Africa

Cecil “Rhodes

Nigeria

Persia (Russia and Britain interested in Iranian oil)

Mandate System

French
Direct control (versus indirect control)
Colonies in Africa (French West Africa: Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast….)
Suez Canal (conflict over with British)

French Indochina (Vietnam)

Samori Toure (resistance against French in West Africa)

Middle East- colonies following fall of Ottomans- role in Mandate

Algerian resistance

Haitian revolution (could be an anniversary piece)

Francois Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture

Mandate System

American

Neo-imperialism (economic imperialism in Latin America) including United Fruit Company/ banana republics

Spanish American War – Philippines, Cuba and Yellow Journalism

Mexico and Revolution 1910-1911

Military intervention in Latin America – mid 19th to present (Cuba, Haiti, many others, almost Guano war….)

Monroe Doctrine and Roosevelt Corollary

Panama Canal

Positive US role in China (open door policy and Boxer Rebellion)

Colonies in Pacific: Hawaii, Guam

Liberia

Japan

Meiji Reformation/ Commodore Perry

Westernization

Sino-Japanese war

Russo-Japanese war

Korea

Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere

Need for oil/ fossil fuel for industry

Colonization: Southeast Asia and others

(NOT Pearl Harbor)

Latecomers:

Belgium

Joint-Stock Companies

Mercantilism
Pennsylvania

King Leopold/ rubber (Belgium)

Lado Enclave

Dutch in South Africa (Boer War) and in SE Asia

Orange Free State

Cape Colony

Shaka Zulu

Rwanda / Burundi

Rwandan Revolution

Belgian Congo

King Msiri

Trading Post in China

Germany

German East Africa

Otto von Bismarck

Scramble for Africa

Spheres of Influence in China (China divided up between Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain…)

Fall of Ottoman empire (affects colonial gains of many—falls due to siding with Germany during WWI)

African soldiers in the trenches during WWI (for both British and Germans)

German Unification

Berlin Conference

Morocco conflict with Britain

Kaiser William II

Chartered company land management

Ghana

Mauritania

Benin

Rwanda

Burundi

German West Africa

German East Africa

German Southwest Africa

German New Guinea

German Solomon Islands

Spain

Philippines and Cuba Spanish American War (Spain)

Morocco (Spain)

Mexican Conquest

Encomienda System

Viceroyalties

Peninsulares – creoles – mestizos - mulattoes

Bartholome De Las Casas

Hernan Cortes

Incan Conquest

Mit’a System

Francisco Pizarro

Atahualpa

Columbian Exchange

Great Circuit

Manila Galleons

Treaty of Tordesillas

Olaudah Equiano

African Diaspora

Juntas

Simon Bolivar

Jose de San Martin

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Augustin de Iturbide

Italy

Battle of Adowa and King Menelik (Italy)

Italian Unification

Benito Mussolini

Scramble for Africa

Eritrea

Somalia

Libya

First Italian Ethiopian War

Second Italian Ethiopian War

Albania

Tunisia

Treaty of Wuchale

Italian Turkish War

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