Eventually, the Suez Canal was built, creating the optimum trans-continent route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. By using this short cut with steamboats, the time it took to relay messages between Europe and Asia was cut in half. With the great speed on water now came the great speed on land with the invasion of railroads in the colonial areas. Without a variety of technological ways to communicate between different countries and different continents, the growth of Imperialism would not have grown as far as it managed to spread. Headrick s view of Imperialism is different than the other offers that have been looked at in that he introduces a new and quite convincing argument on why Imperialism continued to expand and why it was so successful.
Technology is a part of everyday life.
Its benefits, as shown in Headrick s novel, outweigh the consequences. In introducing this prime partner in the growth of Imperialism, Headrick clearly supports his thesis in many ways. Not only was he able to gather evidence from the numerous other authors on the subject, but he got to reflect on goals, issues, and contributing factors in the growth and advantages that technology was offering to the sailors, tradesmen, Navy, colonists, and government communication. He backs up his argument with both primary and secondary written sources from factory owners, government officials, and colonists. By expressing their thankfulness at the technology that has made their efforts possible, present day historians and readers are able to see the benefits of the technological bang in England in the nineteenth century.