Effects Of Colonialism On Native Peoples

By the 1800s, Europe had gained considerable power- centrally governed nation-states had emerged and the Industrial Revolution had deeply enriched different country’s economies. Advances in science and technology, industry, transportation, and communication provided Western nations with many advantages. Encouraged by their new military and economic prestige, European countries embarked on a path of aggressive expansion that today’s historians call “New Imperialism (1800-1914).” Europeans brought much of the world under their influence and control, dominating various countries politically, economically, and culturally. Though the West reaped the benefits of foreign imperialism, native peoples felt its harmful effects. For example, in Document

It is reasonably hard to measure the extent of the influence that imperialism has had on the contemporary world, at least due to the fact that imperialism shaped the appearance of the modern world, starting from the name of places and geographical boundaries, to the establishment of a globalized economic system. Accordingly, European colonization has left its mark on many parts of the world, especially by providing a strong foundation for the formation of a cultural universalization, substantial changes in the education system, an occurrence of a language hierarchy, and the emergence of a world economic system (Osterhammel and Petersson 2005, pg. 73-77). Through altered societal structures, a restricted access to education, substantial changes to the cultural values of colonized countries, and the special division of the labor market, the age of imperialism has had an outsized impact on the modern developing world, perhaps more than any other particular age.

Colonization can be dated back to 1492 with the Spanish venture led by Columbus. Colonialism is defined as “The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically” (Oxford Dictionary).This expedition spread European influence worldwide, in places such as China, Lebanon, India, and Antigua. European influence is still prevalent today through the crossing of racial lines and shifting of cultures towards a more ‘civilized’ way of living. Colonialism is still prevalent today, in the form of postcolonialism. Postcolonialism can be defined as America’s benefaction to nations worldwide that include dynamic influences in things such as: government, culture, education and economy. One of the concepts erected from colonialism is globalization. Since globalization is a direct effect of colonialism, it is no surprise that globalization influences the same categories as postcolonialism (government, culture, education and economy), making the two concepts almost synonymous— with minimal differences. Globalization is defined as the integration of economics and communications of nations through increased contact by technology. Globalization dominates the economic and social side of the field while postcolonialism dwells in the cultural and educational aspects. This European ‘gift’ has contributed to global conflicts,

Classical Colonialism occurs when metropolitan nations fuse new territories or peoples through means which are virtually involuntary such as war, conquest, capture, and additional forms of enforcement and control. (Biauner 1987,150) Classical colonialism is distinguished by economic exploitation, forced entry, and cultural imperialism through the establishment of new institutions and methods of thought. (

When a central power comes in and dominates the surrounding land and people it is referred to as colonization. In some cases it can lead to a positive outcome but more so than not it has a negative repercussion. In “Heart of Darkness,” “The Powwow at the End of the World,” and “Heritage,” both the colonizer and the colonized experience negative consequences that force them to change their views on the world.

During the course of my studies I have learned globalization to be the process of integrating cultures. As posited by Eller, “some observers foresee a future in which the human world will integrate into one vast single culture on the basis of globalization.” (2013 pp 317) Colonization is described in the texted as a method used during the process of colonialism. Colonialism is defined in our class texted as “the more or less organized system of occupation and exploitation of foreign territories through settlement and conquest …” (Eller, 2013, pp 327)

Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colony in one territory by a political power from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population.

Columbus also repeatedly, almost as if bragging, talks about all the places he has seen

Most of the world’s civilized societies today were established through colonialism. It was brought about through greed, necessity for expansion, and discovery. It has left its mark in various ways by the languages we speak, cultural influence, not to mention the lines on the map. Although it has shaped much of history, colonialism is an unequal exploitation of settlements or countries that has left a lot of problems in its wake.

Colonialism is also a specific form of imperialism. Imperialism, in which other lands were taken over unfairly, was practiced in Europe starting in the sixteenth century. Lands were overtaken in Africa, and both the Americas and Africa where it was believed the indigenous people were felt to be primitive societies, with uneducated and uncivilized people. The Europeans did not understand these cultures, including their religious beliefs or social customs and they, believed that they needed to change their community to become more like the far superior European culture. The

(e). Colonialism is the process and establishment by a political power a colony in one territory from another territory. It also involves subsequent expansion, maintenance, and exploitation of the colony. The term is also describes a set of unequal relationships in between the colony and the colonial power. Often, it’s between the indigenous people and the colonialists.

After the prime era of colonialism and imperialism, there came to be point where one questioned; why? Beside the fact that conquering a land and its people was and is still deemed as power, as well as an empire’s strength and has been that way for all of time. The Europeans gave justifications as to why they believed they were meant to conquer, tagging the natives as savages, but still gave some credit to the natives as they grew to appreciate some attributes of their culture and lifestyle

Erica Drummer CH 202-1204 Essay #3 12/11/15 Word Count: TITLE Colonialism; the practice of attaining full political control of a country, by occupying it with settlers and developing it economically. The idea of colonialism has been established since the 1500’s and it has not stopped since. While some viewed the idea of colonialism as a grand concept, others looked at it as an awful idea that should have never happened.

If prompted with the question what is colonization and or how did Europe and America colonize different countries and peoples the answer might be as simple as: it was the process of taking land from other countries and pushing to change the peoples of those countries towards western ways. This answer is to simple, a lot of people do not know the motives behind colonizing another country. Even though the motives behind colonizing another country depend on the time and location of the colonizing, Europe and America have always set above every other country around the world. They title themselves as being superior to all others. Thus, a lot of countries bought into the western ways and believe Westerners to be “demigod”. In Michael Adas essay, Contested Hegemony: The Great War and the Afro-Asian Assault on the Civilizing-Mission, even though the focus is on the ups and downs of colonization in Asia and Africa. The essay looks at the motives behind colonizing these peoples, why some bought into the idea and how World War One changed everything for Europe, Asia and Africa in terms of colonization.

Colonialism has impacted many countries; it is the act of a strong and resourceful country taking over a weaker country. It usually imposes on the country, taking advantage of it. People often get confused between colonialism and imperialism; they are actually quite similar and the only difference is that imperialism focuses more on the culture and changing it. But still, the meaning of colonialism and imperialism are debatable and some people find it problematic to define their meaning, especially when it comes to discussing them in relation to culture. (Tutoveanu 2012,77). This later on leads to the deculturation of a country, where then most citizens feel like they have lost their identity. The culture of a country plays a huge role