Globalization: A Continuation of Western Imperialism Essay examples

After the civil war, United States took a turn that led them to solidify as the world power. From the late 1800s, as the US began to collect power through Cuba, Hawaii, and the Philippines, debate arose among historians about American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority.

Imperialism was a time period in which more developed nations colonized less developed nations. The developed nations took advantage of the less developed nations resources, people, lands, and much more. Many countries lost their freedom and independence due to imperialism, however, they also received new technologies and innovations.

In the period of historical globalization, a lot of horrible events had happen and many people have suffered, also lost what they had such as land, culture, languages, family, freedom, and dignity. Like the Rwanda incidents, Apartheid Law in South Africa and the incidents in Residential Schools in Canada. Although those things had happened, they still survive and right now is rebuilding and moving forward to not let it happen again with the little help of NGOs. In my opinion, Contemporary society has done enough to respond to the legacies of historical globalization. Moving forward and start making a better future is the only answer for those horrible events from repeating itself.

Why and how did globalization occur? Different perspectives have different explanations as to why and how globalization evolved. Realists argue that international trade is most effective when there is hegemony in the world market, whereas liberalists believe that it is a matter of how countries use the idea of reciprocity in their decision about trade. I agree with the realist perspective because hegemony allows the global economy to enhance and international trade functions the best when a hegemon dominates the world market.

Imperialism is the spread of control over territories across the globe. The Industrial Revolution and interests in nationalism created a new period of imperialism around 1750. Old imperialism lasted from 1450- 1750, but imperialism alone remained until 1914.Old imperialism and new imperialism shared the same basic concept of controlling and utilizing foreign countries. Old imperialism focused mainly on systems of trade while new imperialism took bolder steps to overtaking nations.

The Caribbean region in the late eighteenth century was exploited in many ways: plantations altering any financial potential and cruel oppressors exploiting natives and slaves to keep the “Old World” linked to the “New World.” Full of pirates, slave rebellions, and involved in multiple wars including the Nine Years’ War and the Seven Years’ War. They were home to many plays for profit, the easiest of which was smuggling. The causes and responses to smuggling were all around the same, all that matters was whom the smugglers were working for, and whose funds were being subverted by said smuggling.

Eric William in chapters seven and nine of his book, “From Columbus to Castro”, provides his readers with an in-depth knowledge about the political and economic history of the Caribbean. Eric William gives his readers the story of how Europeans “discovered” the Caribbean and how they governed it. Thus the various events that took place right from the time of Christopher Columbus, focusing on the colonial sweepstakes pursued by France, England, the Netherlands, Spain, and Denmark. The main idea of chapter seven is how the Caribbean came to be the cock pit of European rivalry and wars in the latter parts of the fifteenth century up to the eighteenth century, an interesting tale of adventure, greed and cruelty. What William offers

The United States of America had begun its political life as a colony of the British Empire. However, as the 20th century dawned, the nation quickly found itself as one of the world’s leading imperial powers. Historians have proposed various reasons for this change in the American psyche. Historians from the progressive school of thought argue that economic interests dictated American foreign policy; while academics of the Conservative or older patriotic tradition advocate that the nation's brief foray into imperialism represented a “great aberration” from typical American isolationism. A third school led by Julius Pratt, applied Social Darwinism to the country – stating that a combination of religious and humanitarian components motivated

Albuquerque concludes that the attack on Malacca gave the Portuguese the complete command of the spice trade, and later on command of the Chinese and Japanese trade. The reasons Albuquerque gives on why they attacked Malacca was for the Muslims resigning India for them to rule. Albuquerque stated, “...for the greater part of them—or perhaps all of them—live upon the trade of this country and are become great and rich, and lords of extensive treasures” (419). He brings to their attention how their lord wants them to complete this affair against Malacca. The second reason Albuquerque says is having the possessions of spices and drugs that the Muslims have. He states, “...we deprive them of this their ancient market there, there does not remain for them a single port, nor a single situation” (419). Albuquerque believes after conquering their market of spices and trade they can begin and use these items for trading purposes.

“The sun shineth, the land is green and the people are strong and creative”. (Jamaican Flag, 2017) This motto is an interpretation of the beautiful island of Jamaica. Jamaica, which is known as the “birthplace of Reggae, is one of the largest islands in the Caribbean. This island is such a sight to behold, along with it’s beautiful resorts and tourist attractions. A destination that is on the top of many people's bucket list. Gold, green, and black are the colors on the Jamaican flag. It symbolizes the pride and glory of the Jamaica and its people. It is a strong representation of the wealth, beauty, hope, strength, and creativity that is embraced within Jamaican culture. (Jamaican Flag, 2017) Jamaicans are truly one of a kind, with their style, music, distinctive mesmerizing accent, their intriguing ways, joyful, warm and welcoming embrace. They are always bringing a certain energy into the world. There is more to Jamaica then it's amazing Reggae music and amazing Resorts. Throughout this paper I tend to go in depth to uncover the many layers of Jamaica’s culture throughout its history up until what is deemed today.

'Despite the views of many optimists, there are clearly losers as well as winners from the process of globalization.'

To what extent is our understanding of economic globalisation challenged or expanded by analysing the lived experience of global processes.

Transport through the Middle Passage was a time of immense misery, suffering, and death for the millions of Africans who experienced it between the 1600s and 1800s. After arriving to Africa from Europe, slave traders violently kidnapped or bought African men, women, and children, for iron, cloths, and firearms. The Africans, most of whom were taken from Upper Guinea, Sierra Leone, Angola, the Gold Coast, which is now the nation of Ghana, and other West African countries knew nothing of their fate, leading some to commit suicide and starve themselves on the slave ships. Though there was a heavy loss of life during transport and upon arrival to the Americas and the Caribbean, at least 12 million Africans endured deadly conditions and began what is now called the African Diaspora. The Middle Passage had a great influence on many aspects of African culture due to the shared sense of pain and struggle that united the slaves and due to the ways they responded to oppression in the New World. Conditions of the Middle Passage contributed to the carving out of new cultural systems in New World slave plantation societies and resistance to slavery led to a retention of African cultures in many Caribbean countries that is still evident today. In this paper, I wish to argue that cultural and linguistic similarities between the people of Ghana and the people of Jamaica can be attributed

Joseph E. Stiglitz. Globalization and Its Discontents. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2003.

1) Beckles, M.H., & Shepherd, V. (2000) Caribbean Slavery in the Atlantic World. Jamaica, Ian Rhandle Publishers Limited.