Prior to the 19th century, Europe's interactions with Asia and Africa had mostly been limited to holding trading posts on the continent. Content to make money from these commercial outlets, Europe usually didn't impose direct rule onto these areas. However, as the 19th century progressed, a shift occurred. In this period of New Imperialism, Europeans began to seek formal political control over foreign and overseas areas. Now that we have the definition down, let's take a look at the reasons for this change. First, we'll hit the desire for economic growth.