Imperializing Channels: Italian Colonization of East Africa (1870-1922)

Fall 2022 GGR Recipient
Research by:
  • Emma Lineberger (School of Architecture)

My thesis research examines the early period of Italian colonization between 1870 and 1900 in today’s Eritrea and Somalia. This period is understudied as there was little to no governmental involvement or investment for the acquisition or invasion of colonial territories. However, this period was the building blocks for the later Fascist Era that has been the focus of many other studies. This research will examine how trade and infrastructure of Italy’s first colonial port cities were influenced by massive global changes in the later half of the 19th century, including the Suez Canal, the telegraph and railway lines.