An Examination of Jules Ferry's Arguments for French Colonialism

This essay analyzes Jules Ferry's arguments in favor of French colonialism. Ferry believed that France needed to expand its export markets to compete with other European powers, particularly due to industrial advancements and trade barriers imposed by Germany and the United States. He advocated for the establishment of colonies to secure markets for French products and generate revenue. Ferry also presented non-economic arguments, including the idea of superior and mediocre races, claiming that superior races had a duty to enlighten less fortunate races. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of colonies for the French Navy to secure supply centers and safe harbors. The essay examines Ferry's perspective, incorporating his economic, racial, and strategic justifications for French colonial expansion and his responses to critics.

Running head: HISTORY
Jules Ferry’s View on Colonialism
Student Name
University name
Author Note

HISTORY
1. Jules Ferry explained that France was running behind other European countries that had been
exporting more goods in the market. They would only be able to export more products if they
would successfully establish more colonies. Ferry highlighted the need for expanded export
markets for the products that the hard working citizens of France were producing (Ferry, 1884).
Few contemporary trade developments in the global market had created necessity for France to
establish more colonies. The Free Trade Treaties that was established in 1860 between Great
Britain and France was one of the significant ones (Becuwe & Blancheton, 2014). This trade
policy lowered business exchange for both Great Britain and France. The trade markets
developments were affecting the export market for other countries too. France was experiencing
industrial advancement that helped it to produce large amount of products. Ferry argued that
France needed to establish colonies in order to develop markets where they could sell their
products and generate revenue. And the neighboring country Germany was creating trade
barriers and United Sates of America were acting as protectionist. So France saw that the
previous market was shrinking and above that they were becoming their competitors in the
export market. Other European countries were also producing more agricultural products that
were substituting their local products. Ferry also predicted that their South American market
would be controlled by North American products in the near future. Thus, the country needed to
increase the practice of their colonial policies in order to help them to set up a bigger export
market.
2. Ferry highlighted in his speech that there are superior and mediocre races. He had further
argued that the superior races held rights over the mediocre races. The critics had argued so

HISTORY
because he belonged to a developed country that had upheld man’s rights. Contemporary critics
argued against his defensive claim of imperialism (Bowman, Chiteji & Greene, 2016). The
critics also blamed him for promoting slavery.
Jules Ferry confronted his critics by arguing that France should apply trade policies upon the
mediocre races because it is their duty to enlighten the less fortunate races. In order to counter
the critics’ allegation against his promotion of slavery and slave trade, he talked about how
Spanish colonizers introduced slavery in Central America. He believed that the Spanish actually
deviated from their duty as a superior race. According to him the European imperialism must be
implemented with the superior races’ generosity and sincerity to develop the mediocre races.
3. Jules Ferry had also presented non-economic arguments in favor of the imperialism. The
French colonial policy also supported his view. The French Navy had to establish the colonial
policy in order to secure themselves from the supply centers from the overseas and to establish a
safe harbor. At that time the warships could carry coal that could only last two weeks. Therefore,
they needed to have stops where they could either take shelter or supply. In order to fulfill those
needs France had to establish colonies in Madagascar, Indochina or Tunisia (Osborne, 2016).
Ferry believed that he established valid reasons behind his promotion of imperialism and so it
deserved further support from the patriots.

HISTORY
Reference
Becuwe, S., & Blancheton, B. (2014). The dispersion of customs tariffs in France between 1850
and 1913: discrimination in trade policy. In Research in Economic History (pp. 163-183).
Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Bowman, W., Chiteji, F., & Greene, J. M. (Eds.). (2016). Imperialism in the Modern World:
Sources and Interpretations. Routledge.
Ferry, J. (1884). On French Colonial Expansion. trans. R. Kleinman, in J. Ferry Speech Before
the French Chamber of Deputies.
Osborne, T. R. (2016). French Empire: 4. Third Republic. The Encyclopedia of Empire.