Imperialism and the Racial "Other"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Imperialism in the 19th century established the sense of racial superiority as mainly manifested in creating dichotomies, such as progress vs. tradition, because the Christian whites needed to educate the racial "other", whose civilization was believed to be backward and subservient to false traditions and myths, if the whites were to benefit economically from the colonial process. The author points out that the Victorian emphasis upon morality in a morally confused and volatile England, the dominant colonial power of the era, brought an added dimension to the military domination and exploitation of the 19th century. The paper relates that the appearance of uncivilized territories convinced many expansionists they had a God-given mission to take new territory and to spread Christianity and the benefits of European culture.

From the Paper:

"This is not to deny imperialism's economic and military components. Industrialized nations have often produce more manufactured goods than their people need or can afford to buy and colonies have long served as markets for these unsold products and military strategy is another important motive for imperialistic activity, as colonies provide important buffer zones in creating military spheres of influence. Both industrial production and militarism had experienced a tremendous expansion in the 19th century. But also, during the late 1800's, a strong feeling of nationalism had swept most European countries beyond pure economic and military motives."

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