English Colonialism Essay by serendipity

This essay discusses the rationale for British colonialism from the perspective of other colonial powers from Europe. The European perspective is favorable to colonialism, the primary, albeit non-spoken, premise being assertion of superiority. The revisionist perspective, on the other hand, is one of revulsion towards imperialism. The lives of three symbols of colonialist power are illustrated in this paper: Lord Robert Clive, the first Governor General of India; Lord Charles Cornwallis, last Governor General of America; and Captain James Cook, the discoverer and first foreign, non-aboriginal purveyor of the newly discovered land of Australia. The paper shows that, although Britain's history might expound their virtues of martial and leadership abilities and their adventurous spirit, their exploits also resulted in untold hardships in the colonies they helped establish. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.