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Which raw materials became more important to European empires during industrialization?

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Map of North America in 1763 using color coding to show colonial territories: the 13 American colonies in red along the Atlantic coast, other British territory in orange across much of present-day Canada, Spanish territory in purple covering most of the southern and western regions, Russian territory in green in the northwest, and large areas of unclaimed land in white. Major bodies of water such as the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay are labeled. — Western colonialism North America during the colonial period.

As industrialization progressed, the demand for raw materials shifted significantly. While goods like spices, sugar, and enslaved persons became relatively less important, European empires developed a rising demand for materials essential to industrial production and for food to support their growing industrial populations.1

Key raw materials that became increasingly important included:
* Industrial inputs: Cotton, wool, vegetable oils, jute, and dyestuffs.1
* Energy and manufacturing resources: By the late 19th century, the second Industrial Revolution spurred a particular demand for oil and mass-produced steel.2
* Foodstuffs: Wheat, tea, coffee, cocoa, meat, and butter were required to sustain the swelling populations in industrial areas.1

This shift in demand fundamentally altered colonial policy, as empires sought to reorganize non-industrialized regions to prioritize the extraction of these resources and the development of commercial agriculture and mining.1