The White Man's Burden Imperialism

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The industrialization of Europe in the early 1800’s was essential to the rise of New Imperialism in Europe as it brought about technological advancements like railroads and steam engines that paved the way for a new concept: Global Empire. King Leopold II of Belgium accurately sums up the fundamental rationale for 19th century European manifest destiny with his quote, “The country [people] must be strong, prosperous, therefore have colonies of her [their] own, beautiful and calm.” [5] The distinguished poet Rudyard Kipling believed that it was the moral obligation of developed nations to offer assistance to the underdeveloped cultures of the world, which he illustrates in his work, The White Man’s Burden. [6] While The White Man’s Burden* is an insightful look into Kipling’s and his contemporaries’ philosophies on European foreign expansion, it also serves as a reflection on the moral and spiritual values of Europeans and governments that were …show more content…
He characterizes them as “savage”, and more explicitly as “sullen half-child/half-devils” (18, 7). Unsurprisingly, the mysteries of faraway cultures fascinated the European people, both scientifically and out of genuine curiosity. Sometimes, audiences in Europe were entertained by traveling circus’s featuring pygmy men or curvy women brought back from mainland Africa. One of the most popular and famous performers from the southwest region of Africa was Hottentot Venus. Europeans were so amazed by her figure that after her death she was dissected and displayed for visitors of the Museum of Man for over 150 years. [4] Although the slave trade was abolished by the 19th century in many European nations, spectacles like this continued on for more than a decade, which shows just how deeply-rooted the alienation of the African people

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