In the 1800s the Industrial Revolution put the European powers far ahead of other nations in terms of technology. This gave the British the advantage and success in imperializing Africa, India and China. Nationalism played an important role in sending Europeans abroad. Many other reasons sent European powers abroad including, the desire to expand economically, political rivalries and military strategies, and humanitarian and religious concerns such as the need to spread Christianity and civilize barbarism, this was commonly known as the burden of 'white man. Social Darwinism, a theory that Darwin's “survival of the fittest” applied to society; this was argued to justify imperialism. Before the Industrial Age, during the Age of Exploration (1450-1750) various countries had trading bases along the African coast, including the English. However, these places were used exclusively for trade and not as bases for conquest. It was only from the 1870s that European powers began to look for new resources and markets in many parts of the world, including Africa. Before 1870, European powers had little interest in Africa; this was mainly due to diseases such as malaria, which killed many Europeans. Another big reason was due to the resistance they faced against the natives. This all changed, in 1880, with the discovery of quinine, which prevented people from contracting malaria, also created in 1880, was the world's first machine gun, the Maxim gun. The Maxim gun gave the Europeans a very large military advantage and was a crucial element in protecting Africa. There were various ways in which Europeans colonized Africa; the primary method involved multiple wars in which Europeans had clear supremacy using the Maxim gun. Other methods are... middle of paper... to obtain great wealth. As Christian missionaries continually attempted to convert people, conflicts arose when converted Africans rejected their community's beliefs. African cultures. European paternalism has affected most Africans, even those in government; Africans have never held the highest position or made great decisions. It was common knowledge that for an African to be successful he had to conform to the ways of Europeans, for example, if an African wore his robe to work, he would be fired. However, imperialism did not come without its benefits. They increased the literacy rate, improved medical care, and brought better hygiene methods.