How did the Industrial Revolution

Question

help lead to European
imperialism?
Unemployed European
factory workers wanted to
migrate to new lands.
European cities were
overcrowded, so people
needed new places to
settle.
As industry replaced
agriculture, Europeans
had to import food from
overseas.
European industrialists
needed access to raw
materials to use in their
factories.

Answer 1

The Industrial Revolution significantly contributed to European imperialism for several key reasons, with the most relevant being:

European industrialists needed access to raw materials to use in their factories.

As industrialization advanced, European nations experienced a surge in production capabilities and a demand for raw materials to fuel their factories, which were increasingly essential for economic growth. This need for resources such as cotton, rubber, minerals, and other materials led European powers to seek out colonies where these materials could be exploited. Consequently, imperialism became a way for European countries to secure access to the natural resources necessary to sustain industrial production.

While the other options provided—unemployed factory workers seeking new land, overcrowded cities, and the need to import food—do reflect some societal pressures stemming from industrialization, the primary driving force behind imperialism during the Industrial Revolution was the demand for raw materials and markets to sell finished goods.