HIST 410N Week 1 Case Study 1

HIST 410N Week 1 Case Study 1, Jules Ferry Week 1 Jules Ferry Case Study HIST-410N Week 1 Jules Ferry Case Study Jules Francois Camille Ferry () was a French statesman and a great promoter of colonial expansion. For the duration of the Third Republic, Ferry was the French Prime Minister and a devout supporter of French imperialism. He played a major role in expanding public education and in developing France’s colonial empire (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2015). Jules Ferry’s main argument for France’s imperial expansion is the need for exports as a result of capitalism and overseas markets. As Ferry points out, the exportation of goods would have a positive impact on France’s economy. He also stresses the need to act immediately as “competition, the law of supply and demand, freedom of trade, the effects of speculation, all radiate in a circle that reaches to the ends of the earth” (Jules Ferry, 1884). He provides examples of Germany increasing their trade barriers as well as the United States becoming an increasingly powerful trade competitor. This was due to the strategies they implemented to protect their markets, therefore rejecting France an opportunity to take part in their exports. Not only would imperial expansion aid with France’s imports and exports as more territory acquired would mean less competitors in trading, it would also create a larger market for various products and start a demand for new goods ultimately leading to economic prosperity. Along with less competition, colonies would be able to provide new resources for trade therefore making economic growth inevitable. The more resources and products that a country obtained from expansion, the more they had to offer to their consumers, making them more desirable and competitive amongst other countries if they had something unique or valuable to offer that the other countries did not possess. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed to the idea of imperialism, and many people criticized Ferry’s beliefs. The critics of Ferry’s expansion policy argue that imperialism is an unjust and inhumane practice that exploits humans and territories. The introduction of slavery into Central America is an example that is used in Ferry’s speech. Ferry recognizes the inhumanities that were done on “inferior races” in the past and states that these individuals deviated from their main responsibility and “did not fulfill their duty as men of a higher race” (Jules Ferry, 1884). In his current time, he reaffirmed that France was a civilized and generous nation that only worked to educate those of lower races rather than to exploit them for economic and political benefit. He believed that his obligation was to enforce trade upon other colonies because higher races had an obligation to enlighten the inferior races. In response to his critics, Ferry argued that imperialism should instead be praised for the generosity that the higher races placed upon the inferior races to help civilize them. Along with the vast economic benefits, Ferry states that having colonies and territories all around the world may bring other benefits to France. He states that having additional territory would be militarily beneficial as it would be a means for more “places of supply, shelters, ports for defense, and provisioning” (Jules Ferry, 1884). It would also bring about new education and religion to the natives, which he claimed would be beneficial to them, as the “inferior races”. Not only that, but the expansion would also aid in discovering new lands, territories, peoples, and perhaps even inspire new scientific research. Overall, Ferry truly believed that his rationalization to support French imperialism was valid and reasonable, thus it deserved support and consideration (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2015). Neo Imperialism in the 19th century sparked competition among European Nations to acquire territories, resources, and religious motives. Ferry recognized this fierce competition and concluded with the statement that a great nation cannot exist without being part of the affairs of the world. References American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author Jules François Camille Ferry. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved from maps/jules-francois-camille-ferry Jules Ferry: On French Colonial Expansion (1884). Retrieved from The World in the Twentieth Century, 7th Edition. (07/2013). Pearson Learning Solutions. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from