Imperialism in South-East Asia

   Not only did the European want to take over control of India and divide Africa, but they also wanted to take over power of Southeast Asia. They wanted Southeast Asia because it had a plantation agriculture in which sugar cane, cocoa, coffee, rubber, coconuts, bananas, and pineapples were the major foccus. The British, the French, and even the Dutch wante dto control many territories of Asia. The Dutch East India Company controlled over Malcca, Java, Sumatra, part of Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, Bali, and Indonesia. The British controlled Singapore, Malaysia, and Burma. The French took over controll of Northern and Southern Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, which later on would be called the French Indochina.
   There would be conflicts between the natives and the foreigners since there would be a wide range of variety of race, culture, tradition, and religion; there would often be clashes between them. Despite this, these countries did modernisize. They got railroads, better education, and a healthier public sanitation.
   One country in particular remained independent. Siam (which is now Thailand) lay between Burman (controlles by the British) and French Indochina. While the French and the British prevented the other from taking over Siam. Siam took this to its advantage and reorganized itself and government to modernisize and stay independent.
   While this went on, in America the United States did not like the idea of colonizing, but there were groups that felt that for the U.S. destiny to be a world power they had to colonize, while others were more into it for the business and markets.
   The U.S. acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam as a result of the Spanish-American War. The Filipinos weren't happy of changing colonizers (from Spain to America) The U.S. were also interested in Hawaii because of the sugar trade. In 1890 sugar in Hawaii was no longer cheap and the U.S wanted to annex Hawaii. At first the ruler, Queen Lilioukalani started taking action, but the U.S took her out of the throne. Later, Hawaii asked to be annexed, but the U.S. refused, but later on the U.S. will ask for the annexation of Hawaii.
   Almost every land of the world were claimed, yet racial and religious clashes still exist today.

The French Revolution And An Interesting Fact

   
     "Liberty, equality, fraternity! Those were the cries of the French Revolution. France had been a powder keg for decades as wealthy aristocrats grew richer and the poor grew hungry and more desperate. The match was struck when the French king Louis XVI and his hated Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, refused to address—or perhaps could not address—the problems of the people. The revolution began on July 14, 1789, when commoners and soldiers alike attacked the Bastille, a hated prison and symbol of the regime. It was a pivotal moment in European history as the French deposed and executed their monarch. A bold experiment, the principles of the Revolution later went awry during the Reign of Terror and left the way open for Napoleon Bonaparte to sweep into power." (http://www.enotes.com/topics/french-revolution)

    Now, one interesting fact about the revolution is Marie Antoinette. When King Luis XVI and his family were captured at Varennes, Marie Antoniette was the one who held her family together. When she was accused of treason, the people who captured her took away her children, and killed her husband (Luis XVI). On her last days she spent in prison, her best friends head being paraded just outside Marie Antoniette's jail window. While she was going thrugh all that suffering, on her las confession, the Priest advised her to be have courage; and she respoded "Courage! I have shown it for years; think you I shall lose it at the moment when my sufferings are to end?” It is very interesting how, even though she was hated by the french, she still showed courage in her darkest hours.