In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution put European powers far ahead of other nations in terms of technology. This gave the British the advantage and success during the imperialization of Africa, India and China. Nationalism played a major role in sending Europeans abroad. Many other motivations sent European powers abroad, including the desire to expand the economy, political rivalries and military strategy, and humanitarian and religious concerns such as the need to spread Christianity and civilize the barbarians, what was commonly called the white man's burden. social Darwinism, a theory that Darwin's "survival of the fittest" applied to society; this was advocated to justify imperialism. Before the industrial age, during the Age of Exploration (1450-1750), various countries had trading posts along the African coast, including the British. However, these posts were used only for commercial purposes and not as bases for conquest. It was not until the 1870s that European powers began to seek new resources and markets in many parts of the world, including Africa. Before the 1870s, European powers had little interest in Africa; this was mainly due to diseases such as malaria, which killed many Europeans. Another important reason was the resistance they faced against the natives. Everything changed in 1880, with the discovery of quinine, which prevented people from catching malaria. Also created in 1880 was the world's first machine gun, the Maxim machine gun. The Maxim gun gave the Europeans a huge military advantage and was a crucial element in securing Africa. Europeans colonized Africa in different ways; the main method involved several wars in which the Europeans had clear supremacy thanks to the Maxim cannon. Other methods are middle of paper to achieve great wealth. As Christian missionaries continually attempted to convert people, conflicts arose when converted Africans rejected their community's beliefs. Imperialism helped to further suppress African traditions, when colonial schools, run by Europeans, taught that African beliefs were backward and continually presented a negative view of Africa. African cultures. European paternalism affected most Africans, even those in government; Africans have never held the highest positions or made major decisions. It was common knowledge that for an African to succeed, he had to conform to the ways of Europeans. For example, if an African wore his dress to work, he would have been fired. However, imperialism was not without its advantages. They increased literacy rates, improved medical care and brought better sanitation methods..