Final answer:
In the 1800s, the telegraph was the key technology that allowed imperial nations to rapidly communicate with their colonies. The implementation of undersea cables connected continents and significantly reduced communication times, playing a vital role in the era of New Imperialism and the Second Industrial Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1800s, the new technology that helped imperial nations quickly communicate with their colonies was the telegraph. The telegraph, along with undersea cables, revolutionized the way information was shared across continents. Before the telegraph, sending messages between England and India could take up to two years for a message and its reply, but with the telegraph, this time was reduced to just two days. It underscored the efficiency of governing within global empires and played a crucial role in the expansionist goals of imperial nations during this era, which is also known as the period of New Imperialism.
Communication technologies saw rapid advancements with the laying of the first transatlantic cable lines in 1858, which connected the United States and Europe. Despite the initial setbacks, such as the first cables functioning only briefly, this spurred further development in the telecommunications industry, leading to a network of over 100,000 miles of cables connecting all continents. By facilitating communication in minutes and hours instead of days and weeks, telegraphs played a significant role in the Second Industrial Revolution and the expansion of European and American imperial power across the globe.