Imperialism Dbq Essay

Historically, Imperialism has been a tool, used by Europeans to successfully exploit indigenous populations for monetary gain. To the Europeans, this practice was extremely beneficial, and resulted in a bolstered economy that funded even further colonial exploits. However, to the indigenous populations, this practice decimated cultures, lifestyles, and disrespected many basic human rights that were supposed to be upheld by the so-called “superior races.”

To begin with, global superpowers greatly benefitted by using Imperialism. As explained in Document 1 by O.P. Austin, developed nations gained “tropical produce” in exchange for “roads, canals, railways and telegraphs,” as well as establishing “schools and newspapers for the colonies.” While it seems

that the colonial nations gained quite a lot for quite a little, this was not the case. The roads and canals built in Imperial colonies benefitted the developed nations far more than they benefitted the colonies themselves. Those roads and waterways increased transportation and communication, therefore increasing accessibility for the Imperialists. The schools and newspapers taught children about their conquerors; they shared the news not of their own nation, but of that which sought to control them and exploit their resources. By corrupting the education system and controlling the media of these countries, indigenous culture was effectively pushed aside by the mother country, which could then use them simply as a means of production.
Secondly, the idea of the “white man’s burden” violated multiple basic human rights, and the idea of equality that was perpetrated by the very same people who then proceeded to ignore it.

Documents 2 and 7 are both satirical comics mocking these ideas, calling out the imperialist societies which exploited indigenous African and Asian populations for economic growth. In Document 3, Parker T. Moore goes one step further, classifying military and missionary as one in the same in the long run, explaining the connection between the promotion of heaven and the spread of “very earthly empires” to colonies previously untouched by Christianity. These missionaries, sent to do “God’s work,” only succeeded in the destruction of unique cultures for land, labor, and other resources. This is explained in the African proverb of Document 4. There is much that can be understood of the effects of Imperialism by studying African writing. Documents 5 and 6 exemplify this by providing insight into the minds of both a poet and a politician, normally not grouped into the same category, but in this case, both men felt the destruction of their core values and their culture, and strove to be free of colonial

rule.
In conclusion, although Imperialism was initially beneficial to the developed countries which implemented it, it proved oppressive and destructive to the cultures and peoples who were placed under control of power-hungry white men. Its contribution to history is undeniable, as it has shaped the world we live in today, but the scars it left beg the question: at what cost?