Imperialism

Every time we think about Imperialism and the countries that were colonies or dominions, we immediately think about African countries. However the African continent was not the only territory in the world that suffered Imperialism, moreover it is not the only place that is still suffering from some of the negative effects of this concept.

Imperialism is a concept that dates back to the Roman Empire, and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it refers to “a system in which one country controls other countries, often after defeating them in a war”. This control can be materialized physically, politically, economically or all at once.  

Even though this term, or at least the practice of it,  has been known for several centuries it was not until the 19th century that Imperialism became important in the English Spoken world. In the case of the British Empire, the practice of imperialism in the late 19th century was caused by the industrialization of most of the big cities in England, the necessity of new trading markets, a expansionist culture in which England truly believed they were doing a favor to these smaller countries by forcing them to become civilized like western societies , and mostly because England wanted to make a clear statement in regards to their power in relation with others european countries.

The British Empire between 1800 and 1914, right before the first world war, covered ¼ of the Earth´s surface. Among its colonies were India, East Asia (Hong Kong and Ceylon), West Indies (Belize, Barbados, etc), Burma, Southern Africa (South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, etc), West Africa (Sierra Leone, Nigeria, etc), and East Africa (Uganda, Kenya and . Northern Somalia).

Here is a link of a very funny video that explains the history of the British Empire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWedTbuAtR4

Reference: Maxwell, M. g. (n.d.). Student's Friend Part 2, Unit 3. Student's Friend Part 2, Unit 3. Retrieved , from http://www.studentsfriend.com/sf/part2see/part2-3.html