Motives For Imperialism

Imperialism is a policy of a country spreading their power and influence with diplomacy or military force. The act of imperialism is widespread across the world because of three main motives. These motives consist of political, religious, and economic factors involved in the expansion of the industrial nations. These imperialists weren’t necessarily evil. The main reason nations participated in imperialism was because they had strong feelings of nationalism, and felt it needed to be spread to weaker countries. Some decided imperialism was a way to spread their religious beliefs. Imperialism is terrible, and the nations who participated in it did terrible things to others. However, no matter how awful the imperialists were to foreigners imperialism

continued to be justified.
Political factors involved in the expansion of imperialism were caused by patriotism and the fight to be superior among countries.

Powerful countries bulk up their militaries and seek land across the world for a strategic camp asserting their dominance to smaller countries. The patriotism in these countries is so powerful they feel as though their culture needs to be expanded. When threats of security or status of the dominant country and it’s people is when political imperialism takes action. In George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant when telling why he shot the elephant he states, “To come all that way, rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away, having done nothing — no, that was impossible. The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man’s life in the East, was one long struggle not to be laughed at. (Orwell, 1946)." This quote shows that psychological pressure controls people. The narrator thought about not shooting the elephant, but when he thought of what society would think if he didn’t assert his dominance he changed his mind. The same problem happens in politics all the time. To be seen as superior countries take control of weaker nations asserting their dominance and power. This is not a respectful action, and ultimately causes tons of

problems.
Religious imperialism was popular because of churches wanting to spread their influence.

An example of this is the European Christian missionaries that created churches in claimed territory. Missionaries mainly spread their religion through teaching the natives their language. They taught their language through game-like religious rituals and lessons. “If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it (Twain,1916). This quote from Twain’s The War Prayer explains perfectly the forced religion onto natives. Everyone is different, and has different beliefs. Twain is explaining how no two people need the same things. He’s stating that two countries can coexist without practicing the same religion. Another example of religious imperialism is in Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden. The burden of the white man is the need to civilize and Christianize native peoples. This is shown in the statement, “Take up the White Man's burden--Send forth the best ye breed--Go, bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait, in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild--Your new-caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child (Kipling, 1899).” These Christian people saw their newly caught savages as less than people who it was their responsibility to

fix.
Imperial governments mainly seek profit. By economically expanding a country could receive free or cheap labor, natural resources, and control of the market. An example of this is slavery, specifically the African Slave Trade. Africans were kidnapped and sold into the slave trade. They were brought to America to endure hard labor, and were treated as objects. The slaves were a huge part of the South’s economics. Every new slave brought into America was more money to be made. If a person wanted to trade a slave to get a new one there is still money brought from the slaves pumping through the economy. People justified taking the Africans from their native land because there was a ton of work to be done, and these people would do it for free. Owning a foreign slave in America would not only make the owner look more powerful, but the owner also reaps all rewards.
In conclusion imperialism is never a good thing. Imperialism happens because of three main factors: political, religious, and economic. Primary document authors of this time Orwell, Kipling, and Twain all agreed that imperialism was a terrible act. Orwell believed men were psychologically pressured into continuing to do what their country wants them to do whether that be take over a new country. Kipling talks about taking on the white man’s burden of forever having to Christianize and civilize people who are natives. Lastly, Twain explains that if nothing is wrong with something there is no need to try to fix it. Personally, I think these writers were on to something. Respecting each other’s differences is what makes the world a wonderful place.