Answer:
European nations had more powerful weapons than the people in the lands they sought to colonize.
Step-by-step explanation:
The next three chapters examine the three technical and scientific breakthroughs that had the most impact on the New Imperialism of the nineteenth century: steamboats, medical technologies, and firearms. At the very least, many argue that advanced technology was a key component of the worldwide spread of European imperialism. ... Improvements in steam power in the early nineteenth century enabled such river travel, helping Europeans travel inland to expand their empires.