Colonial Crucible Chapter Summary

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This paper examines Chasteen’s “Colonial Crucible”, Khapoya’s “Colonialism and the African Experience”, Steinberg’s “Introduction”, “Siam, 1767-1868” and “The Malay Peninsula to 1874.” These chapters are interrelated in that they all examine the role of European colonial rule of a specific region. First, Chasteen’s chapter examines the differences and similarities between the areas under Spanish and Portuguese rule. The author argues that these different European rulers impacted the religious, cultural, and political identity of these regions from past to present. Additionally, Khapoya’s chapter examines British, French, Belgian, and Portuguese rule in Africa and the source of interest for European powers in Africa. Lastly, Steinberg’s chapters …show more content…

First, the author addresses how it was possible for these two European powers to maintain in power in Latin America via hegemony. Hegemony is described in the chapter as a means to control with consent from those at the bottom. The author states that hegemony can be attained in a variety of ways, but three of the key elements are religion, patriarchy, and honor (Chasteen, 2016, p. 65). Religion is important because it was a mechanism used to assert dominance over another group. Patriarchy and honor are strongly interconnected in that they both depict gender roles and actions that are deemed acceptable in a society under Iberian Law. Additionally, transculturation played a large role in establishing the diversity that can be found in Latin America …show more content…

The introduction outlines the author’s argument that after European influence Southeast Asia became highly compartmentalized, whereas they area was previously maintained and controlled by three dynasties. The following chapters examine a powerful region prior to British invasion (Siam), and after (the Malay Peninsula). “Siam, 1767-1868” focused on how the Siamese state achieved a newfound dominance in Southeast Asia prior to intervention from outside European forces. The chapter on the Malay Peninsula tells a similar, but different story. This chapter focused on the last portion of the eighteenth century, and how it was shaped by conflict and turmoil from different sources attempting to assert dominance over the

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